In The Seasons of Conscription
by jessara40k
Summary: In a world where trolls who can lay eggs are bigger stronger and higher ranked than those who cannot Sollux turns to Eridan to save him from the Helm. Warnings: slavery, dub-con, referenced mpreg
1. Chapter 1

"Fertile Lord, I beg audience." Sollux's voice shook as he dropped to his knees in front of Eridan. He was a coward, and a whore, offering himself to Eridan like this, but...Feferi wasn't going to win, defeat the Condesce. And he'd been too free with his psionics, he'd end up in a helmscolumn for certain if he didn't have someone powerful enough to protect him.

"Granted. Here?" Eridan glanced around the beach with a slightly smug smile. Most of their friends were already staring at them, especially Feferi, and Sollux wished he kept his hair long enough to hide behind. He took a deep breath, steadying himself to answer, trying to keep his lisp under control.

"Wherever it pleases you, Lord."

"But I don't knoww wwhat you wwant to ask, howw privvate it is, or should be." Eridan reached out a lazy hand and stroked one huge finger down the side of his face. Sollux shivered, but forced himself to nuzzle against that finger in a parody of affection. He swallowed hard before he answered, trying to ignore the almost cruel smile on Eridan's face.

"I come to petition entry to your harem, Fertile Lord." Suddenly he was looking at Eridan's knees.

"Yeah, that's pretty damn privvate." He held a hand down, and Sollux let the bigger troll lift him to his feet. "Hey Gam, mind lendin' us a room?"

"You just go ahead and grab any room you want Eribro."

"Thanks Gam." Eridan strode off towards the hive, ducking under the top of the doorframe, and Sollux followed him, almost running to keep up. Eridan paused in the first block, then decided on where to go, bringing Sollux to an almost empty block.

"So...wwhich harem wwere you offerin' for?" Eridan dropped to the floor as he spoke, stretching out carelessly.

"Whichever you want me in, Lord." He wasn't going to piss Eridan off by skipping the title, no matter how much he hated using it. If Eridan accepted him he'd have to get used to it, and if he didn't...helmsmen weren't allowed to speak, they rarely managed to remain trolls, not mindwiped batteries.

"Convvince me then. Provve that you wwant me." Eridan rolled onto his back, legs falling open, and eyes shut. "You _do_ wwant me, don't you?"

"I do, Lord." Sollux didn't know where to start. He'd thought...weren't breeders supposed to take charge? Or did Eridan want Sollux to service him? He hesitated then knelt beside Eridan and leaned forward to kiss him, licking at his lips tentatively. But...Eridan stayed impassive under his touch, and Sollux pulled back, frantically trying to work out what to do. "Eridan?"

"Did you think I was going to make this easy for you?" Eridan opened his eyes, looking at Sollux with a hint of contempt. "I didn't _think_ you wwere stupid until noww. Then again maybe it's just because you're too lowwblooded cowwardly to really go after wwhat you wwant." He laughed harshly when Sollux flinched at that, his own thoughts coming from Eridan's mouth. "Unless you're just pretending to wwant me, to savve your skin. Are you _that_ much of a wwhore Sol?" He pushed himself up to a half sitting position, a sneer twisting his lips. "Wwhat makes you think I'd evven wwant someone too wweak to take the initiativve wwhen it's fuckin' offered to them?"

Somehow Eridan had managed to tip him into anger. He wanted Sollux to take what he was offering? Then he _would_. He slammed Eridan back down _hard_, using his psionics, red power wrapping around each of the breeder's limbs, splaying them out, like some sort of animal for dissection.

"A bit better. But I'm still not impressed." But he was struggling, Sollux could _feel_ it through his psionics, so Eridan had to be bluffing. "What do you think you can do to me now that you have me?"

"Thith." He forced Eridan's mouth open with his blue psionics and kissed him again, _biting_ his lips this time, and forcing his tongue into Eridan's mouth. He kissed back, pushing his own tongue forward, into Sollux's mouth, responding at last. His tongue was large enough to almost choke Sollux, and he could taste Eridan's blood in his mouth, but somehow he managed to avoid Eridan's teeth. He pulled back, panting, and climbed on top of Eridan, kneeling on his stomach.

"That all you got the courage for?" Eridan smiled up at him, still infuriatingly confident about this, contempt still colouring his voice.

"No." Red power ripped Eridan's clothes to pieces, stripping him in seconds. The bastard was glorious, sleek planes of muscle laid out underneath him, marked with the slightest of burns from Sollux's power, and he was _still smiling_. Sollux slapped him across the face. He put his full strength into it, but all he managed was to rock Eridan's head to the side a little. And then he _laughed_.

"You're doin' better noww. Good boy."

"Thhut up!" Sollux hit Eridan again, wishing he dared use his powers for this too, but even if Eridan wanted a bed slave with spirit there was no way he'd let Sollux mark him anywhere people would see.

"Make me." Another laugh, and Sollux gathered the scraps of Eridan's clothes, knotting them together into a ball that he stuffed into the breeder's big mouth. Eridan's bulge was pressing against his ass, and Sollux slowly climbed off him, finally glancing down to see it. Fuck, it was _huge_, as big as his wrist at the head, tapering to the size of his ankle at the base. No wonder Eridan wasn't worried about being taken - _Equius_ wouldn't be able to handle that thing. And how was Sollux going to be able to satisfy Eridan when he let the breeder take him in?

He stripped, quickly, trying to hide his worries, enjoying the blessed silence. Eridan openly ogled him, even gagged with the rags of his clothes. Was he _mocking_ him? Sollux knew he was a skinny twig, he'd just hoped Eridan would protect him, whatever it cost Sollux, even if Eridan just wanted a toy. And now he didn't really know what to do next.

He sat crosslegged beside Eridan, resting one hand on his chest, and gripping his nearer horn tightly with the other. He whined through his gag, tensing and going limp, again and again. It looked _incredible_ and Sollux could feel his own bulge slowly emerging at the sight of Eridan shaking.

He released Eridan's horn, and he went limp, head falling back and baring his throat. Sollux climbed back onto Eridan, sitting on his near thigh, wrapping his blue psionics around one horn, and the red around the other. This time Eridan began shivering, tiny tremors running down his body.

"Tho _hot_, big thtrong breeder trembling under me." He raked his claws down Eridan's side, over the skin covering his gills, and shoved two fingers into his nook. It was tighter than he'd expected, and Eridan arched into his touch, clenching around his fingers, moaning through the gag.

He licked the hot purple blood from his claws, slowly, letting Eridan see just how flexible his tongue was, and moved to kneel between the breeder's legs. He pushed into Eridan, hard and fast. How could he be so _tight_? And he got _tighter_, pulsing around Sollux, until he spilled inside Eridan, and Eridan spilled all over them both.

"Wath that what you wanted ED?" Sollux told himself that his voice was shaking because he'd just pailed someone. Not because - other than being taken in - he'd just dommed the fuck out of a sea breeder. He still pushed away from Eridan, pulling out and moving away.

He cried out and collapsed when Eridan moved, almost effortlessly breaking the psionic bonds. Eridan rolled onto his elbow, looming over Sollux, spitting out the gag, and rested his free hand on Sollux's ribs.

"Yeah, just wwhat I wwas looking for." He ran his hand down Sollux's side and leg, almost shockingly gentle. "I don't wwant a kismesis to be a passivve vvessel for my hate and contempt."

"Kithmethith?" He thought Eridan was a traditionalist. He certainly enjoyed it when strange lowbloods went all formal and submissive at him. "_You're_ a radical?"

"Just a little progressivve. I blame Fef." She was probably the only one who could talk him into seeing how easy he had it, even if they weren't in a quadrant any more. The only thing more radical than calling Sollux his kismesis would be naming Karkat as his matesprit. "I don't enjoy black sex wwith slavves and kismesis is enough to protect _you_. Givve me your hand." Sollux held out his right hand and Eridan wrapped a gold chain with two charms around his wrist, wrapping three times before fastening it off. "You get that I'm not goin' to roll ovver for you like this all of the time?"

"Yeth. And I'll still have to learn how to be a helmthman. I can handle that." But it would just be the techniques, not the obedience conditioning, not when he belonged to Eridan. And Eridan wouldn't put him into a column, not permanently.

"Good. 'Cause the only thing that wwould keep you from learnin' the techniques is bein' in my black harem. And evven then is wwould be kind of wweird. Matesprit wouldn't keep Fef or Kar safe, they'd havve to be my red consorts." Eridan pushed himself up into a sitting position as he spoke, and Sollux slowly copied him.

"You're allowed _two_ red conthortth?" He thought consorts were supposed to be like quadrants, only slaves, one each red and black.

"It's odd, but legal. A lot closer to traditional than progressivve, and usually means at least one wwas promoted from the harem. Either of them agrees I wwon't need a red harem - but if Tavv needs it I'll keep a space for him. I'll do that if they'vve both got other plans too, just pick out the rest from the offers I'vve already had."

"GZ might not like that." Eridan had stopped trying to pick fights when he'd come into his full growth.

"Then he needs to figure out howw to protect Tavv himself. It isn't like no one shares their concubines. Some of us evven share our consorts - usually a black consort wwith a matesprit, but..."

"Are you really thaying you'd let me pail FF if thhe wath your red conthort?" Eridan wasn't that generous.

"It's kind of vvicious, but yeah. Especially if you make a showw of being furious wwhen you 'find out' she's agreed to be mine. And of course sneakin' into my harem to pail one of my red consorts is a huge insult, but it's this really dramatic display of _your_ skills too."

"Tho what, you're athking to playact thith epic kithmethitude? And what happenth when thomeone _elthe_ catcheth me?" Had Eridan even thought about how dangerous what he was asking had to be for Sollux? He didn't know what the punishment for sneaking into a breeder's harem was, and he didn't really want to.

"You'll be handed ovver to me. I'll keep you in my quarters for a feww days - unless your superior has the guts to tell me he still needs you to wwork. Wwhen I let you out you'll havve bite marks and bruises to showw off and a limp you can't hide." Eridan's voice had gone deep and husky and Sollux swallowed back on his arousal. Suddenly he felt like Eridan had cheated him by allowing him so much control earlier. "And the more we play up _our_ relationship, make it about you, not Fef, the safer she is. It looks like less of a powwer play that wway - at least less of the sort of powwer play the Empire cares about. I'll still get pressure to geld her, but if you don't havve an official matesprit and I lend her to you wwhen the drones come looking..."

"Do I ever get to win where people can thee it?" He was being ungrateful and he knew it. Eridan had just saved him from a pilot's rig _without_ enslaving him.

"I'd look wweak if you didn't." He lifted one hand and pointedly studied his wrist. "Do you realise howw much of an insult it is to leavve your kismesis unmarked?" He laughed and reached for his sylladex. "But that isn't the sort of vvictory people _notice_."

"I thought I wath auditioning for your _harem_." And slaves didn't get to leave marks on their masters, not where anyone would see them. "You didn't mark me up either. Did you _want_ me to mark you up?"

"Not noww." Eridan laughed as he logged on to his husktop. "Wwho do you really think wwon this time?" Sollux felt heat flare in his cheeks. Their friends had all seen him begging to be in Eridan's harem, and now he was wearing a black concubine's chain, even if it was around his wrist, not his neck. "If I can't keep you under control I deservve marks to showw for it. I'm a _breeder_, we heal better and faster than you half sterile types." He'd have to work out what _else_ he could do to beat Eridan, but the sea troll sounded like he really did want something mutual. Even so Sollux couldn't quite hide his suspicions; the breeder was being _too_ generous, it felt almost like he was taking pity on Sollux.

"Do you even hate me Eridan? Or am I jutht convenient for you?"

"Oh yes, I hate you. I hate howw you ignore and neglect your friends for your precious codin' but no-one evver seems to care. I hate the wway that you wwalloww in your owwn feelin's, your self-hatred and ignore howw much Fef does to try to make you happy. I hate that you're one of the twwo trolls I can talk technical stuff wwith and that _you're_ the better choice. I hate that you're the only one of our friends wwho _didn't_ treat me differently right after I started to hit my full growwth and wwhen you needed my help you _still_ offered slavvery, not rivvalry. And most of all I hate howw arrogant and careless you'vve alwways been wwith your psionics, like you nevver considered you might havve to fight wwithout them, or hide that you had them. But do you hate _me_, do you evven _wwant_ me?"

"Yeth, of courthe I want you. Who wouldn't?" He was magnificent, even if Sollux didn't like admitting it. "And I do hate you. I hate how you make everything about you, how you jutht don't _get_ that the retht of uth have bigger problemth, or care. I hate that you've got planth to protect all of uth who need it, but you've kept it thecret. And most of all I _hate_ that I have to be grateful for it, that you're protecting me and leaving me free and even promithing to let people thee me beating you thometimeth."

"Tavv came to _me_. That's wwhat got me started thinkin' about this. It's not formal because he's hopin' Gam'll figure the alternativve out for himself. I don't wwant to havve to force anyone to pail me. Here, you need to fill in your owwn details." He turned his husktop over to Sollux, and Sollux began reading through the form. If he made a mistake he'd be taken into custody and delivered to Eridan as a black concubine. Along with anyone _else_ who matched the information he provided.

"What happenth if your information wath wrong?"

"It's assumed to be a hackin'. If the info's wrong on the proposed kismesis, or he's already got a kismesis of her own nothin' happens. If I don't already havve a registered kismesis wwe both get 'Congratulations on your neww kismesis' messages, and I'm prompted to order a bracer for her. He does get to register an objection though, but it has to be inside three nights."

"You mean I could havve thtarted with a win?" An unqualified win at that. "And you don't get to thay no?"

"Anyone wwith the guts to pull somethin' like that deservves a chance. And evven in a normal kismessitude you get accidental deaths sometimes." When'd Eridan get so scarily pragmatic? "It only works for a kismesis of course, not a matesprit, and any black concubines I already have get reclassed as red. Anywway, once you're properly registered as my kismesis wwe'd both get a notification if anyone tried that. Be up to us to decide wwho deals wwith it."

"Deal with it?" Was Eridan saying he'd let Sollux fight over him like he was some sort of prize slave? He submitted his information and numbly handed the husktop back to Eridan.

"Interloper'd havve to end up dead or crippled and in my harem. It depends on the situation really. I'll order the double spade design for your bracers. There's a feww options for putting your sign on too. You wwant that?"

"Yeth! Could you put it on twithe, pleathe?" He was being ungrateful again, but Eridan just laughed and turned the husktop so he could see the screen.

"I wwas thinkin' one of these." Both pictures were of the open side, and his sign was there four times, in each corner. On the right hand the signs were all in Sollux's blood colour, almost invisible against the gold, on the other picture his signs were scarlet at the narrower end and blue at the wide end. "Do you care wwhich one I go wwith?"

"How ith the yellow an inthult?" He could _see_ why outsiders would think the red and blue were an insult - only their friends knew they were _his_ colours.

"It's the subtlety. Most trolls wouldn't see the insult."

"And they wouldn't notithe my thign either. Are you _expected_ to inthult me with thith?"

"I can't compliment you by adding your sign unless there's an insult there, no. I don't havve the status to be too unconvventional yet. The usual way'd be to put evverythin' in my blood colour. You're expected to return the insult if you can wwith wwhatevver you get to lay claim to me." Right, as Eridan's kismesis Sollux got to lay some sort of claim to him as well. How could he do that?

"The red and blue pleathe." Anyone who saw him use his psionics would know that it was more commpliment than insult. And he could return that insult more easily with a ring or something than he could the yellow. Eridan nodded and selected the bracer Sollux had asked for, the closed the programme and looked at him.

"You might wwant to go clean up before returnin' to our friends." It was a dismissal, almost an order, but Sollux wanted to talk to their friends first anyway.


	2. Chapter 2

"Those two have been hidden away in your hive for a while, haven't they Gamzee? I wonder what they could be doing?"

"That nooksniffer Ampora's probably making Sollux beg or audition to be his slave."

"Don't say that Karcrab." Feferi didn't want to think that he former moirail would do that to Sollux. He wouldn't be doing this, offering himself up to Eridan if he thought that she could defeat the Condesce.

"Uh...maybe they're t-talking it out. He was really nice when I asked about it"

"Why'd you want to be motherfucking up and doing something like that Tavbro?"

"I'm a uh...crippled lowblood. If I don't belong to someone who can protect me I w-will be culled."

"Did Eridan...refuse to take you?" She didn't want to think that he'd do something like that, but Tavros wasn't wearing a chain.

"No he uh...promised to keep a place for me. But uh...he said I should w-wait in case...well he doesn't want a concubine who resents him."

"You're keeping a promise from a _breeder_ in reserve in case nothing better comes along? Way to go Pupa. Didn't think you had it in you."

"It isn't like that." Feferi didn't think she was the only one who found that unconvincing. "Really. He says it would make him look bad if he made me his concubine then, uh...promoted me to consort in less than a sweep. And he said he was waiting for three offers before he decided what to do with his household."

"A Fertile Lord is under no obligation to wait for his inferiors to offer themselves."

"But it's purretty nice of Eridan to let people come to him."

"Tavros did state that Eridan does not wish his concubines to resent him - and I expect forcing them into his harem would lead to that."

"Did Ampora say what he was waiting for?"

"Not the offer Sollux made. He uh...did want Sollux to make an offer but n-not that one." Tavros ducked his head, looking away from Karkat and Fefer. "He doesn't really _pity_ Sollux, I think they're taking so long because Eridan needs to know if Sollux can give him what he wants."

"He wants Sollux as his kismesis." Feferi glubbed unhappily at the thought. "Isn't that...unfair? Eridan's a purple breeder, how can Sollux win?" Especially if he was the only thing keeping Sollux out of a helmscolumn. Eridan had all the advantages; strength, blood rank, social rank - failed heiresses who ended up in a breeder's harem were always given to purples.

"Heeeeeeeey! _I_ managed to face him. We broke up because he was so easy to beat. Not Eridan's fault if Sollux can't figure out how to win." Kanaya looked annoyed at Vriska's sneer too. "I mean he was practically _telling_ the nerd how to claim that quadrant by force."

"You don't _force_ someone into a quadrant. That never works."

"It would be highly improper to presume to even suggest oneself for a Fertile Lord's quadrants."

"Legally a mature breeder _can't_ break up with a kismesis, not unless she kills them, or cripples them and forces them into his black harem. Nor can a registered kismesis leave the breeder she belongs to."

"In summary Vriska, I do not believe Eridan _ever_ saw you as a true kismesis." There was a hint of satisfaction in Kanaya's voice. "As I understand it he allowed _you_ to define - and redefine - the terms of your conflicts."

"What sort of half-assed kismessitude is it where you _let_ your kismesis win all the time?"

"The sort where it's more about securing and humouring a partner to complete an important task you can't be certain of handling alone." Eridan had been _far_ more upset that Vriska didn't want to hunt with him any more than about losing a potential concupiscent quadrant when he'd broken up with Vriska. "He would have been perfectly happy just being fronds with you." He'd ranted enough about Vriska's attitude to make Feferi wonder why he even bothered playing along with her stupid fantasies.

"Ah...Eridan did say that a breeder who can't uh...handle an unwelcome suitor might as well get himself spayed straight off, and save everyone the trouble when she screws up."

"I thought breeders were supposed to be purretty agressive in a relationship. But you two are making Eridan sound pawsitively _laid back_ about it."

"Well, he _does_ know that forcing someone into a quadrant just causes problems." Feferi giggled, looking at Vriska. It would be easy to hate her for her attitude - she was even more entitled than _Eridan_ was. And she'd hurt Eridan pretty badly in the past. But there was no-one who could auspitise between them, and even if Kanaya hadn't taken Vriska's black quadrant already, Eridan had made her responsible enough not to start anything seriously concupiscent with anyone who'd _need_ that quadrant in the near future.

"Uh...Eridan said he has three lists of offers. He could fill his harem three to ten times over from each of them."

"And the bulgemuncher is just keeping them hanging on like that?"

"He's said no to one list, he's just keeping it in case he needs black daliances. And the other two lists have been told to uh...look for alternatives, just to let him know if they find them." Tavros looked down, fiddling with the hem of his shirt. "He t-told me to look through the longest list, and let him know if I uh...had problems with anyone on it. He rejected all the trolls I told him about." Tavros sounded guilty about that, and Feferi was about to reassure him when Equius stepped forward and rested a hand on his shoulder.

"You did your duty in providing the honoured Fertile Lord with the information he requested Nitram. You can hardly be held responsible for what he chooses to do with it." And Eridan had probably made the right choice. Any troll who couldn't get along with _Tavros_ had to be trouble. "Are you permitted to tell us more about these lists?"

"Uh...Eridan didn't tell me to keep quiet, but I don't want to upset him."

"But I do." Sollux looked _happy_, psionics holding him up in the air. But when she looked at his wrist he was wearing a chain wrapped around it, with an amethyst _spade_ and Eridan's sign-tag.

"Are you certain? If Eridan decided to take you as his black consort rather than his kismesis..." Or as a red concubine.

"He'th regithtered me and ordered the bracer. He'th got _planth_ and he told me about them. FF, KK, he wantth both of you ath red conthortth."

"But...he doesn't pity me." He'd been humiliatingly clear about how much he _didn't_ pity her when they'd broken up as moirails. At least they'd stayed friends.

"Greedy nookwhiffer wants two consorts. Is he even allowed to do that?"

"A breeder may arrange his household however he chooses. The only thing that would be illegal is for Eridan to have a black harem or consort and a kismesis, or start a red harem after acquiring a matesprit."

"But I do pity you FF. And ED doethn't want you to die or be enthlaved and gelded, then given to an older breeder. Having you ath hith conthort when I'm red for you...it'th a way to beat me, at leatht ED thayth that'th what motht people will think."

"I'm the prize?" Was she supposed to feel flattered by that? "Eridan doesn't think I can beat the Condesce either then?"

"I gueth not." Sollux pulled her into his arms and she didn't fight it. "I'm thorry."

"Don't be. I sort of knew it already. Do you still want to be my matesprit, I mean officially?" They'd kept it informal because if Feferi won she'd have been able to keep Sollux safe and claim him then, but she hadn't wanted to give the Condesce another weapon to use against her. But now that Eridan was going to keep Sollux safe he needed a matesprit who could be with him.

"Oh yeth. If you're wearing my ring _everyone_ will know you committed to me _firtht_ and I mean enough for you to keep it on even after Ed'th taken you. I...you _are_ going to tak the offer?"

"Yes. If...he'll still let us be together?" She thought Eridan still cared about her, enough to work on reform from inside the system. And she didn't have any real base of support to make changes even if she did face and defeat the Condesce.

"Yeth. And we can fill pailth for the droneth together. ED told me he expectth me to come to you without him knowing."

"That sounds dangerous." Breeders were possessive about their harems, and Eridan would have the right to _kill_ Sollux for something like that if he wanted to. Not to mention that he'd look weak if he didn't do _something_ to her as well, at least if any outsider learned about it.

"Only if we're caught by anyone but ED. And even then he thaid I'd be given to him to deal with."

"And you really think that greedy fuckass won't use it to screw you over?"

"KK, I _offered_ to be in ED's harem. I didn't think he pitied me. TZ, what'th he allowed to do to me if I'm caught?"

"Anything he wants if he catches you pailing his red consort. But he can only kill you or cripple you if he does it at once." In the heat of the moment, that made sense. "If he does cripple you he is legally required to take you into his harem if you would be culled otherwise."

"Thee KK. ED doethn't _want_ anything black with a thlave. He thaid he'd keep me in hith harem for a few nightth and leave me all marked up from pailing if I let anyone elthe catch me."

"You trust him to do that?" Feferi should feel offended by the doubt in Karkat's voice. She'd agreed to Eridan's plan without picking at his morals like that.

"He jutht _proved_ that I can KK. FF, I need to get ED a ring, don't I?"

"That's traditional." But Sollux wouldn't be able to afford anything up to Eridan's standards. "Do you want me to pay for it?"

"How much of an inthult ith that? Compared to what I can afford, brath and glath?" Was that all? Her surprise must have shown, because Sollux gave her a sheepish smile and a shrug. "I didn't really thave for quadrant jewellery. I never expected to be allowed to have quadrantth. And there were alwayth thingth I needed to buy inthtead of thaving."

"Giving him somefin cheap would be a reely bad idea Sollux. He _has_ to wear it and somefin that looks cheap says you don't really care." And they were counting on making Sollux and Eridan look _obssessive_ over each each other.

"Yeah, I figured. You don't mind? I wath thinking thilver and amber for your ring, make it elegant." Sollux grinned down at her. "I want to get thomething gaudy for ED. He'th not exactly thubtle."

"No, he isn't." Feferi giggled. "That means it _has_ to be expensive, or it's going to look _terribubble_." Simple and elegant meant that as long as it was made well the materials didn't matter as much. "We can get together and pick out something we both like for our rings, and you can choose what you want for Eridan too. Would you like silver and garnet, or white gold and pink diamond?"

"I don't care. They jutht have to look like a proper pair."

"So glad you two are happy with your plotting. You don't really expect me to roll over and be Eridan's happy little bed slave, Sollux."

"Karcrab! A consort isn't a slave. A red consort de_fin_itely isn't a slave."

"Guess that level a naivvety's one a the things that makes you pity her Sol." Feferi felt her cheeks heat at Eridan's casual dismissal of her and her opinons. "Kar, I'm not askin' you to be mine. I wwant you to knoww it's an option for you. I can't think of anythin' that'd keep you safe _and_ free - Sol's useful as a helmsman, but you and Fef are _threats_ to the empire, just by livvin'. If you'vve got plans against the empire I don't wwant to knoww."

"Oh yes, you believe in all that blood shit."

"That isn't fair Karcrab. It isn't like _we_ can just not turn up when the Fleet comes." Maybe _she_ could - although she'd still be hunted down, mutilated and handed over to some ancient breeder as a sex slave - but Eridan, Gamzee and even Equius couldn't. "Eridan, I'm willing to be your red consort. We're exchanging rings, so..."

"I should wwait and make a claim once you're wwearin' Sol's ring? Wwant me to make it look like I forced you?"

"Yeth!" Feferi blinked. That was...emphatic.

"I don't mind, but wouldn't that make you look reely cruel?" Or was that what he _wanted_, to look callous and controlling? As if he'd disregarded her own wishes and desires?

"It makes it look less about you and more about Sol. That's kind a wwhat matters here. You do all knoww I'm supposed to invvolvve my captain in my first season aboard her ship until I get one of my owwn?"

"Fuck, that has to suck."

"It's not that bad." Eridan didn't sound _at all_ upset at the prospect. "I get to choose _howw_ they're invvolvved. Technically I could rape the captain in front of his creww, and she wwouldn't havve the right to retaliate."

"Like that's going to stop them."

"I don't want you to do thomething like that ED." Sparks were forming around Sollux's eyes. "I'd have to do _thomething_ if you cheat on me that way."

"Yeah, that's wwhy I wwouldn't do it unlesss I wwas goin' to kill him and claim her command. It'd be evven more humiliatin' for her than being raped in front of his creww. Don't you think Eq?"

"Yes my lord. Everyone knows that an honoured Fertile Lord taked his breeding partners as he chooses, but to be defended by a lowblood, or worse treated as nothing more than a tool to further a kismessitude with a lowblood..."

"Is that what you bereef about _me_? I just agreed to be Sollux and Eridan's prize."

"No Heiress, your situation is entirely different."

"How?" The _only_ difference she could see was that her involvement would be red, and this hypthetical captain would be infringing on the black quadrant.

"Yeah Eq, tell us all the _traditionalist_ interpretation of my household arrangements."

"That you coerced Captor into a mockery of a kismessitude in order to leverage it to obtain a tyrian for your harem."

"An ungelded tyrian." Eridan looked oddly uncomfortable. "It makes a difference. I talked about this wwith Sol. He knowws I'm not usin' him."

"I don't believe that."

"You don't havve to Kar." But Eridan sounded hurt, and Feferi couldn't blame him. "Fef, wwe need to talk about my harem. I'vve got a list of nearly thirty highbloods wwho asked to be taken into my harem and wwanted to stay on the list evven after I told them I'd only consider them if I picked up a red consort wwith higher blood than they had." He sounded ruefully amused. "You really hate the idea of me havvin' concubines besides Tavv then I'll just send them all final rejections. But keepin' a harem makes me look less radical and means you and Sol are that little bit safer."

That made sense, but even so..."And you want highbloods."

"Not sure. I'm plannin' on lettin' them pair up for the drones if they wwant to wwhatevver I end up wwith, but if I get highbloods I'll breed wwith them, and if I pick out the cripples from the lowbloods wwho offered no-one'll be surprised wwhen I mostly breed outside my harem and keep them for relaxin' wwith. Really it depends on if you think you can keep a harem of highbloods under control, and keep them from harassin' Tavv."

"You're going to choose highbloods when you could save eight lives?" Fef hadn't thought of that.

"If I had a lowblood red consort before Fef it'd be _easy_ to refuse the highbloods. Since I don't havve to livve wwith them the wway Fef does I'm givvin' _her_ the choice."

"You'd prefer the lowblood cripples." She wasn't sure how she felt about that. On the one hand, yes it would save their lives, but something about the idea bothered her. "Why?" Maybe if she understood what Eridan was thinking she'd feel better about it.

"Besides Kar's point about savvin' livves? Like I said before it'd be a lot easier for you to keep Tavv safe if my other concubines're all lowblood cripples like him. And it makes certain types of politics easier for me if I don't owwn a bunch of highbloods. It's less of a status symbol, but it looks a whole lot more traditionalist."

Making her and Sollux that little bit safer, but...

"Doethn't that make you look weak ED?"

"Me? No. It's makes _Fef_ look wweak; not only did she _let_ me force her into my harem, but I don't think she can keep any troll above jade under control - and evven then I picked out cull bait. It makes me look pragmatic, more than a little ruthless, and kind of manipulativve."

"I'd rather save lives Eridan." She could afford to look weak now, she didn't _matter_ anymore, or she wouldn't once Eridan claimed her. "I...will you still push for those incremental improvements you used to talk about?" When she'd thought she could just defeat the Condesce by virtue of her closer relationship with Gl'bgolyb and abolish the hemospectrum with a single decree.

"Of course." He sounded surprised she even asked. That was _good_. "You get that I'll need to focus on the areas I'm _expected_ to havve an interest in at first, right?"

"Like a breeder's got _any_ reason to care about the problems _we_ have to face. Especially not a purple like you."

"For the progressivves and radicals I can talk about it bein' a shame so many a us seem to think wwe havve to force trolls into our harems. After all _I_ got enough offers to fill my harem thirteen times ovver, evven before conscription. For traditionalists and moderates there's the fact that forcin' someone into your harem's an admission you're not good enough to get them any other wway. I scored myself an ungelded tyrian, and I only forced her 'cause that wwas the best wway to send my kismesis into a fit a rage. Pretty sure I could havve gotten her wwithout evven havvin' to _hint_. She certainly didn't try to fight it."

"No, you jutht uthed me ath your go between."

"Yeah, but you really think any traditionalist's goin' to see that as a possibility?"

"Highblood douchnozzles couldn't possibly believe we're capable of thinking for ourselves."

"You don't think I beleive that, do you, Karcrab?"

"I have learned that you can find a lack of intelligence and a refusal to use the intelligence one possesses in even the higher blood castes."

"To be fairer than they deservve, some a that's an age thing. Trads tend to be older anyway, and the ones wwith real powwer are older than Sol'd get normally. Evven wwithout the wwhole helmsman burnout issue. Scorin' an ungelded tyrian's the only reason they'll think I'm wworth talking to before they're allowed to challenge me."

Challenge? Feferi had known Eridan had to fight and kil other breeders in the past - some of the lusii he'd given her were distinctive. But she hadn't realised it had been in actual, formal challenges, or that he'd still have to fight them as an adult.

"And what happens to Sollux and Feferi if you lose?"

"The breeder wwho kills me gets my harem. I...she has the choice a keepin' or killin' them as he pleases. Or settin' them free a course, not that most of us _wwould_. For me it's depend on howw old my prizes wwere, if they wwanted to be free and if they'd just be culled or wworse if I freed them. The second Sol's not my kismesis _someone's_ goin' to try to 'break him to the helm' and wwithout the excuse of a kismesis to lend her to, and a former quadrant, wwhoevver kills me wwill be under a _lot_ more pressure to geld Fef."

"And what would be different if you'd jutht accepted my offer?"

"I'd look evven more like I wwas pullin' a powwer play if I named Fef my red consort. And I don't think I'd be allowwwed to avvoid geldin' her the wway I can noww. If I got myself killed you'd probably be givven straight to the empire."

"Fuck! Thith ith much better."

"Thought you'd say that. Don't wworry too much; no-one's allowwed to challenge me until after my first season. And I'm purple, so odds are I'll season sloww. Only ceruleans season in their first swweep aboard, and it's not unheard of for a purple not to season until he's fifteen, sixteen swweps old. I'll probably be assigned awway from breeders entitled to challenge me until after _at least_ my fifth season, and at the vvery earliest that won't happen until eight swweps after my first. And there's the caste issue too, once I'vve had ten seasons I _still_ can't be challenged by blues or ceruleans."

"But there aren't a shoal lot of blue and cerulean breeders." Was Eridan trying to reassure them?

"Not relativve to the number a blues in total, but most a the breeders I'vve killed so far wwere purple or indigo. Blues're kinda seen as not wworth the effort a killin' unless they've managed to grab somethin' really special for their harems, and ovverall wwe're a lot more likely to try and kill each other than they are."

"I wonder why." Feferi flinched at the sarcasm in Karkat's voice, but Eridan just grinned and answered him, sounding serious.

"Wwe're a lot more possessivve and territorial. More aggressivve too. Wwe're taught wwe'vve got the right to take and keep wwhatevver wwe wwant, more than they are, so wwe're a lot more likely to issue challenge ovver a specially desirable concubine or consort. And a lot less likely to decline by just handin' evven a concubine wwe'vve got no real interest in ovver. Blues do that sometimes, or so I'vve heard."

"So, having me makes other breeders more likely to challenge you?"

"Yes an' no. Yeah, you're a prize, but...wwe do play politics usin' our harems sometimes. I wwon't evver be asked to let anyone pail you, but are you comfortable wwith usin' those tyrian life extension powwers outside a my household?"

"I...can try." He seemed to have more faith in her abilities in _that_ area than she did. "I don't know how many trolls I can help like that."

"Gelded tyrians manage fivve to ten a swwep at first. I'm hopin' I can count on you to do fivve rejuvvenations outside my household evvery swweep."

"And inthide your houthehold?" Sollux put a hand on her shoulder and glared at Eridan. She didn't like them fighting over her, but she'd have to get used to it.

"I figure extendin' their lifespan a little at a time's goin' to be less stress on the _both_ of you." Eridan was talking directly to her at least. "I figure on havvin' you do that for three trolls at most, includin' our mutual quadrantmate."

"You want her to make _me_ live longer, but you don't care about your harem?"

"Not enough to wwaste Fef's time and energy extendin' their livves. Don't think I'vve met any a the trolls on my lists more than three times. And that at those slavve market meetings wwe're supposed to attend. I _gavve_ them all my contact info." He shrugged his massive shoulders with feigned carelessness. "Not one a them tried to followw up and get into my good books. Not evven the highbloods."


	3. Chapter 3

It was five nights since Eridan and Sollux had become kismeses, and Karkat hadn't been able to get the breeder's indirect offer out of his head. He _hadn't_ planned on leading any sort of revolution or rebellion, or even joining one. He didn't know where to _look_ for anything like that, where to even start. Maybe he could get Sollux to help him...except Sollux wouldn't have turned to Eridan if he thought he had any other way to avoid a helmscolumn, not when he'd been expecting Eridan to enslave and rape him.

And...Eridan had to truly pity Karkat to offer him a red consort's place. He was a mutant, cull bait, not something Eridan could be proud of having in his harem the way Feferi was. But...Karkat didn't, couldn't, return that feeling. Could he? Eridan was so fucking powerful, he ranked equal to Feferi now, and Karkat knew he'd never suffered so much as a night's _real_ hardship. But...he'd planned out how to protect Feferi and Karkat and Sollux, looking back, Vriska was right, he'd dropped hints to Sollux about how he could make himself safe without humiliating himself by begging to be the breeder's slave. And...he hadn't pushed, or threatened to force Karkat into anything. He'd said he couldn't think of a way to keep Karkat alive and free, other than joining or starting some sort of rebellion, but he'd left it at that.

And...some of the things Eridan seemed to take for granted were fucked up. He'd talked about basically trading his ability to lay for political favours. That couldn't be how it was supposed to work. Except Eridan seemed to think that it was, at least until he got his own ship. And what was he going to get out of that harem he'd talked about setting up? Feferi was so red for Sollux she hadn't even had to really think about Eridan's offer, not once she knew she could still be with him. Tavros was dropping hints for Gamzee all over the place, even if the sopor-panned idiot hadn't picked up on them. And Eridan had said not one of the trolls on his lists had made the slightest attempt to _use_ the contact details he gave them. Maybe Karkat was reading too much into all of that, he'd been stewing over it, and overthinking things, but...he knew how much Eridan craved attention.

Oh...perhaps he _did_ pity Eridan, a little. But...Karkat thought it might be pale, rather than flushed. He wanted to help Eridan plan things out better, get him to see where the world didn't fit into his neat little highblood pictures, keep his head straight so that he could _do_ all that breeder politicing he was talking about. Fuck, getting into a pale-red mismatch was a recipe for disaster.

Karkat snorted at his own arrogance. Eridan was the sort of highblood beautiful you hardly ever saw even in the movies, built to a breeder's godlike scale. And _he_ was presuming to wonder if he could want him? Karkat should be fucking grateful that Eridan deigned to pity him, no matter how much the knowledge hurt. It wasn't like there was anyone else who really pitied him that way, even Nepeta had got over that stupid crush of hers. And...he wouldn't be dooming anyone else, he didn't have any real quadrants.

**carcinoGeneticist [CG]**** began trolling ****caligulasAquarium [CA]**

**CG : ERIDAN, IF YOU STILL WANT ME YOU CAN HAVE ME, JUST COME AND GET ME.**

The response was almost instant. Eridan must have been right there at his husktop.

**CA : thanks kar you wwont regret it i promise**

**CA : pack evverythin you wwant to take wwith you at conscription**

**CA : stick to the stuff that has memories attached**

**CA : ill take care of evverythin else**

**CA : ill come for you tomorroww**

**caligulasAquarium [CA]**** stopped trolling ****carcinoGeneticist [CG]**

Take care of everything else? What did that mean? Fuck! Karkat hadn't even really thought about what he'd be taking with him to the Fleet. What was he _allowed_ to take with him, now that he was Eridan's consort? He checked quickly. Whatever Eridan decided to let him bring - not really a surprise. But he got the same mass allowance as a greenblood - nearly three and a half times what he could have as the rustblood he'd have tried to pass as. But he packed everything he could think of, then spent the rest of the night curled up with his lusus, hoping that Eridan was decent enough to let Karkat keep him - at least until conscription.

Eridan arrived so early that Karkat _knew_ he'd left as soon as it was dark enough.

"Kar." Eridan _knelt_ taking hold of his left hand and fastening a chain around his wrist, kissing the back of his hand before releasing it and standing. "Am I invvited in?"

"Yeah, sure. Eridan." Was that right? He was smiling at least. Oh, fuck was that because..."Do you want to pail me now?" At least he'd managed to wait until they were inside before he blurted it out. But Eridan looked almost _hurt_, and that twisted at Karkat's heart.

"Do you think this is just about _that_ Kar? I don't wwant to use you, or hurt you or evven scare you. I knoww you're goin' to take a wwhile to be comfortable wwith me that wway, and I can wwait. It's not like I'm limited to quadrants or anythin' and I don't mind lettin' you be in control."

"Are you serious Ampora? You don't want to fill a pail with me or anything?

"Like I said I can wwait. Not like you can _ignore_ me, is it? And I'm not actually limited to pailin' inside my household."

"Oh, yeah." Should he ask? Karkat wasn't going to pretend to be someone else. "You were talking about playing politics with your seasons. How does that work?"

"Some highbloods get attached to the idea a knowwin' that they already havve descendents, evven ones wwho might not be that similar to them. I don't get it, loyalty goes to your dam if you'vve got one, your sire doesn't matter. But...why do you think highbloods offer themselvves to us?"

"I don't care why they do it. Are you saying it's about getting a chance at descendents they're never going to see?"

"For some of them, yes. There's some wwho just don't wwant to deal wwith all a the politics highbloods havve to play - to get powwer, or to reassure those abovve them that they _don't_ wwant it. Not to mention a feww wwho might wwind up bein' culled for medical reasons.

"The lowwbloods are more often at risk a bein' medically culled, but theres also some at risk for concupiscent cullin', or wwho just wwant a life wwhere they'll be relativvely safe. And the medical cullin' for lowwbloods is usually about them being crippled, wwith highbloods it's mostly drug addiction a one sort or another."

"Right." Karkat didn't get it either. "Do you want to check what I've packed now?"

"Only if you wwant me to. Wwe'vve got nearly half a swweep until conscription. Did you wwant to bring your lusus wwith you?"

"Yes. Crabdad's stupid, and I have to leave him after conscription, but..."

"He's as devoted as mine is. I get it. Wwe need to sort out the formalities." Eridan sat down, on the floor, and pulled his husktop out, working on it then holding it out to Karkat. "Here, you need to complete your details. I could do it myself, but...I wwant it on record that you _chose_ this." All the information the form asked for was easy to find, except for Karkat's system ID, and that was listed as optional. Eridan could have done this as soon as he'd received Karkat's agreement. He could even have done it before Karkat agreed and just let the drones bring Karkat to him.

"Is that all?" Karkat handed the husktop back, feeling confused. Was it really that simple? For Eridan to take Karkat and everything he owned - had owned.

"To make you my consort. There's some other things I need to do. Might as wwell do them here. You're on record as bein' a rustblood. Do you wwant to admit to havvin' scarlet blood noww that no-one can take you from me?"

"I don't...if we take too long it'll look suspicious, won't it?" How much danger was Eridan putting himself in?

"Yeah. You're listed red, so wwaitin' a feww nights wwouldn't be _that_ odd, but more than ten wwould make me look wweak." So if he didn't decide soon they'd have to hide his blood for the rest of his life.

"How does taking a mutant consort make you look?"

"Loyal." He laughed at Karkat's look. "Yeah, I knoww howw it sounds, but I'm takin' the Sufferer's descendent, and tyin' him properly into his place in the scheme a things. Maybe a bit more exalted than the Condesce'd prefer, but it's a wway a controllin' you and keepin' you from bein' a threat. Noww...I'vve got my message refusin' the highbloods sorted out, but you got any idea about howw to soften the rejection for the healthy lowwbloods?"

"What are you saying to the highbloods?"

"That I've got a consort of lowwer blood rank than them, so as discussed I cannot accept them into my harem." Eridan shrugged and smiled. "They admitted to their weakness by offerin' themselvves to me. And then to cowwardice wwhen they didn't use the contact details I gavve them. But the lowwbloods are different. They'vve got better reason to fear, and I don't wwant to be too cruel in refusin' them."

"What did you have ready to send to them?"

"I'vve determined that I wwon't be able to offer them a place. And I wwanted to let them knoww soon enough that they could make other arrangements."

"Yeah, that's pretty reasonable. You want me to read over the message to make sure it's clear?"

"That I didn't slip into too much highblood indirection in tryin' not to be rude? Yeah. And there's one other set of messages. I'vve still got ovver forty candidates on my list. I wwas thinkin' I could hold a meetin' in a gatherin' centre, where you and maybe Tavv could take twwo or three nights to pick out say...fifteen of them and then I could bring them to my hivve and make the final decision there."

"Are you still holding a place for him, or is he your concubine now?"

"Holdin' a place. I don't wwant them to knoww that he's got any influence, just let them think he's another candidate. They're goin' to be tryin' to appeal to you, Tavv should get a more honest vvieww a them."

"Yeah, that makes sense." It was a very highblood way of thinking of things though. "Yeah, let them know that I'm a mutant. I didn't pack any clothes, do I need to get them?"

"No, unless you wwant to bring some shoes or boots wwith you. I ordered the basics last night, wwe can pick them up on the wway to my hivve. You...havve to givve up your sign, for noww at least. I can givve it back to you later, but you'll be wwearin' it in my colour."

"Right, yeah." He'd sort of expected that. "Do I need to wear your sign anywhere else?"

"No. I figured Kan'd be wwillin' to design some sort a uniform for my harem." Eridan put his husktop away and stood, offering a hand to help Karkat to his feet. "You wwant any input?"

"Not too revealing please?" He was smaller than _Sollux_, his body was nothing to be proud of.

"Sure. Kan should be able to wwork that into wwhat I wwant."


	4. Chapter 4

"Here, Kar. Try this on." Eridan held the jacket out to Karkat. He'd worn it two sweeps ago, just before his final growth spurt, not for long enough to show the wear, and he thought it would fit Kar comfortably now. It was black, lined with grey and edged with violet, elegant and restrained, something Kanaya had pressed on him. But he thought Karkat would like it _because_ Kanaya had designed it, and because it was fairly subtle about stating Eridan's claim.

"This isn't the jacket you bought." But he accepted it, looking at it thoughtfully.

"I figured you'd like this one better." He'd bought a jacket with violet lapels and lining, thinking about displaying his claim very blatantly, not what Karkat might want to wear. Feferi might be more comfortable wearing that one, and it wouldn't be too large on her - at least he didn't think it would. The rest he'd kept very plain; high collared shirts in black, grey or the white he was wearing now, lowblood shirts, buttoning at the cuffs, rather than needing cuff links and black trousers of various cuts - the ones Karkat had on now were flared at the bottom to fit easily over his polished black boots.

"I do. I...didn't Kanaya make this for you?" He pulled the jacket on, and shrugged to settle it properly. He looked _very_ good, and Eridan smiled his appreciation.

"And I barely wwore it before I greww out of it, yes. That's wwhy I kept it, because it wwas _her_ wwork. The jacket suits you Kar."

"Thanks, but what would you have done if it wasn't?" Karkat sounded almost accusing.

"The same thing I did wwith the rest of the clothes I outgreww then, checked to see if she wwanted the fabric, then sent them ovver to one a the reuse centres." Just because the lowbloods he knew personally were too proud to wear secondhand clothes didn't mean that other lowbloods wouldn't use them. "Howw'd you feel about wwearin' a tunic wwith my colour at the hem and cuffs, and yours at the neckline?"

"You sure displaying my blood's a good idea?"

"Wwe're not hidin' it, and I thought you might like bein' able to display _your_ colour safely." And, maybe he was being too sentimental, but he wanted to be able to give Feferi that little token of her old rank - which wouldn't be an option if _Karkat_ refused it. Since he had no intention of putting the consort he was flushed for second to the one he _used to be_ pale for. And if Karkat was still shy over his colour, despite having the true shade on record now, then one of his gifts would be very unwelcome.

"Tunic, yes. I want to think about the color. But not now. We need to get going."

"Sure." He rested a hand on Karkat's shoulder as they went down into the dance room. As he'd requested there was a chair set on the end dais, with a table beside it and he made directly for that. "Kar, go and enjoy yourself, as much as you can." He sat down and pulled out a book, one he'd read many times before, more as camoflague than anything else. If they thought he was watching them the lowbloods would all be trying to cater to him, or catch his attention, and that would affect how they reacted.

Over the next hour he made mental notes on the candidates, even though none of them particularly stood out. They were all socialising, and trying to catch Karkat's attention and impress him. And far too many of the lowbloods were trying to play to _him_, even though he was making a show of ignoring them all. There _was_ a small group that seemed to have gathered around Tavros though, and he didn't _seem_ upset, but then the brown tended to hide it when he was.

"Eridan! Look at this!" He put his book aside as Feferi charged at him, waving her hand in his face. He caught her wrist, looking at the slim band of silver, set with an amber heart on her third finger. It was the exact same shade as the spade on Eridan's own finger.

"Wwhat havve you done, Fef?" He spoke loudly enough to draw attention, and hoped that she was as aware of their audience as he was.

"I exchanged rings with Solelux. He's my matesprit now. Isn't it wonderful?"

"All registered and official, or just an informal agreement?" He didn't release her hand, still speaking more to their audience than to her.

"Offishal off course. I'm proud to have Solelux in my quadrants, to be a quadrant corner of yours. Don't you like my ring? We picked them out together, and I helped him pick out your ring too."

He surged to his feet, snatched her other wrist, pinning it above her head with the first one, ignoring her futile efforts to struggle.

"I am _not_ lettin' you get _my_ kismesis culled for association wwith a tyrian fuck-up." He frisked her, quickly and efficiently, tossing her sylladex onto the table with his book and tucking her strife specibus into a pocket. He pulled a consort's chain from _his_ sylladex, standard issue black - it would have been suspicious to request a second red - and discarded the spade, replacing it with a heart from a concubine's chain. "It seems I have a second consort now." He tossed her over his shoulder, and strode off, back to his hired blocks.

"Eridan? Can you put me down now." Feferi's voice was quiet, it sounded like the reality what they'd just done was finally sinking in.

"Yes." He put her down in a chair sized for him. "Stay." It didn't take long to start registering her as his second consort, but she dropped from the chair and came up behind him when he was searching for her information.

"Water you doing?"

"Claiming you properly." He caught her again and dragged her through to the lockable room that apparently came as standard with a breeder's rental hive. "If you can't stay at command, I'll havve to lock you in." But not lock the terminal in the room - he couldn't, Feferi had to have the option of formally contesting his claim or it wouldn't be legal. He finished the process of registering his claim on her before returning to the dance room.

Karkat was still mingling with the candidates when Eridan returned. He flopped down onto his chair this time, and looked at the ring Sollux had given him, comparing it to Feferi's ring. He was fairly sure Sollux had managed to pay for her ring himself - he hoped that the nerd had anyway, because he couldn't imagine anything more humiliating in a relationship than having to buy your own quadrant jewellery. His own ring was chunky high quality gold, almost pure gold, set with rubies, sapphires, dark amethysts and pieces of amber around the ring, fifteen stones in addition to the spade, three repetitions of a yellow, red, purple, blue, yellow sequence. Sollux had come up with a _very_ effective way of returning the insult of his cuff, and taken great pleasure in telling Eridan that Feferi had paid for it. Enough musing. He was sure Feferi would have got in touch with Sollux by now, and he had to make sure Karkat knew that _he_ was the consort who really mattered to Eridan, not Feferi.

"Kar, come up here for a bit." Once he would have _loved_ the way everyone in the room focused their attention entirely on him the moment he spoke, but now...he wasn't so sure that he even liked it.

"What do you want Eridan?" Karkat was grumbling, but he came to stand beside Eridan obediently enough, a scowl on his face now that Eridan was the only one who could see it.

"You do knoww that you're still my first consort, the one wwho really matters?"

"What? I thought...you aren't going to name Feferi your first?" He looked almost shocked as he stepped a little closer.

"The only reason she's my consort is that she wwould have gotten Sol killed if I'd left her to run loose." Eridan didn't shout, but he wasn't speaking just to Karkat the way Karkat was speaking just to him, he made sure to project his voice so that the nearest candidates could hear him, and he could _see_ the news spreading through them. "Come sit on my lap."

Karkat didn't look too happy about it, but he obeyed, climbing up onto Eridan's legs, and leaning against his chest. Eridan kissed the top of his head and stroked his back, trying to comfort him a little.

"I couldn't force Fef into a concubine's role, just a consort's. But _you're_ the one I'd havve as my matesprit if it wwas an option, if I could stay faithful to you wwithout gettin' you killed." He didn't need to play to their audience any more - he could see that the nearest lowbloods were almost swooning over his behaviour - and he lowered his voice. "I had these made for you." He lifted Karkat's hand, and put two charms into it, a bright ruby heart and a gold oval with amethysts carved into the shape of the irons set into it. "You can wwear one a them, or both, wwhatevver you'd prefer."

"Thanks. For giving me the choice." Karkat smiled at him. He fastened the oval to his bracelet, and put the heart into his sylladex. "I'm not ready to flaunt my blood colour yet. Give me time?"

"Of course." He ignored his disappointment, and kissed Karkat again, and wrapped an arm around his waist. "Any conclusions on our guests so far?"

NB: If you enjoyed this I'd appreciate it if you let me know, what worked for you, what didn't, all of that sort of thing.


	5. Chapter 5

Sollux couldn't focus on anything, he alternated between pacing and glaring at the expensive husktop Eridan had sent with his bracer. It was precisely within the restrictions of what he could bring with him on conscription, the sort of quality only a highblood could get his hands on. When was Feferi going to troll him? He knew they'd planned to have Eridan 'force' her into his household tonight. So when would it happen, when would he get to 'find out' about it and make a scene? Fighting with Eridan was always great, especially now that he had at least a little claim on him.

**cuttlefishCuller [CC]**** began trolling ****twinArmageddons [TA]**

**CC : Solelux kelp!**

**CC : -Eridan's netted me!**

**CC : I went to s)(ow )(im my ring, tell )(im we're matesprits.**

**CC : )(e said I was trying to get you krilled!**

**CC : Then )(e told me I was )(is conc)(ort and locked me up!**

**cuttlefishCuller [CC]**** stopped trolling ****twinArmageddons [TA]**

Was she really as panicked as she sounded? Sollux barely remembered to lock his door behind him, before he started flying for the gethering centre where Eridan was auditioning his concubines. He stormed in, pushing obstacles out of the way with his psionics.

"Where'th Eridan Ampora?" The tealblood at the desk didn't even look at him.

"You need to present your invitation if you're one of his guests."

"We're in a quadrant." He stuck his wrist in her face, showing off his bracer. It was oddly satisfying to _have_ power to flaunt over her, see the way she flinched at the sight. "Now where ith he?"

"The dance room...sir." She didn't like using the honorific to him. "Through the doors to the right, down to the end and then turn left."

He followed the directions, and threw the doors open to reveal Eridan sitting on a fucking _throne_, reading a book.

"ED! FF told me what you did to her!" He threw a bolt of power at Eridan's feet to get his attention.

"She should havve knowwn better than to trap you like that and then boast about it to me. I'm not goin' to let some harembait wiggler get my kismesis culled." He put his book to the side and stood as he spoke, stepping down from the dais. "You lot, clear a space." The cripples around them were already pulling back, leaving space for Sollux to stride forward.

"Let FF go! You only want her becauthe thhe'th _my_ matethprit." Power flared in his hands as he yelled at Eridan. "I won't let you keep her!"

"You're my kismesis. She can't name you her champion - if she's evven got the guts or the brains to challenge my claim." He moved forward into the space left open, almost stalking towards Sollux. "Don't wworry Sol. I'vve let her keep the ring you gavve her. I'll be wwillin' to share her wwith you - if you still wwant to admit to bein' invvolvved wwith her you can pail her for the drones."

Sollux screamed in fury as he attacked, bolts of power aimed at Eridan's chest and head. The breeder threw himself forward into a roll, coming to his feet far too close to Sollux, a snarl on his lips. Sollux threw himself away, covering his retreat with another bolt of power, aimed at Eridan's feet this time as he remembered that he was supposed to _lose_ this fight. He focused on staying out of Eridan's reach, dodging, or lifting into the air, throwing bolts of psionic power at him whenever he got the chance. Eridan dodged most of his bolts, but Sollux caught him once or twice - lower power now, he wasn't trying to kill Eridan now that he wasn't seeing tyrian.

Eridan leapt and caught him, pulling Sollux down to the floor with him and cuffed him across the back of the head. Sollux felt his psionics fizzle away, and went limp, letting Eridan throw him over his shoulder and carry him away.

He opened his eyes after Eridan had dumped him on something soft but unyielding. He rolled over and pushed himself up onto his elbows, glaring at his kismesis. Eridan sat down on the concupiscent couch beside him, pushing him back down with one hand on his chest.

"Stay dowwn Sol. I wwon this time - didn't I?"

"Yeth, you did. You won everything." It took him at least an hour to recover full use of his powers. "What are you going to do now?"

"I told you I'd share Fef wwith you." He began stripping Sollux as he spoke; Sollux didn't fight it, just let the breeder move him like some sort of doll. "Wwe can start noww. Prepare your nook."

"ED...what?" That didn't make any sense, Eridan was way too big for him. And he was standing up, moving away from Sollux.

"Or I can havve Fef do it if you'd rather." He was smiling now, sharp teeth showing in open threat. "That might be a better idea anywway." He wanted having Sollux to take Feferi in? They hadn't said anything about this - not to Sollux at least, and Feferi wouldn't have agreed to something like that without telling him about it.

"You can't make me do _that_ to my matethprit." He was shaking his head at the horrifying idea. "It'th perverthe!"

"I can use my consort any wway I wwant to - and if that includes havvin' her servvice you? That's _my_ perogativve." He turned away and unlocked a door, walking inside and coming out with Feferi under one arm. "Wwhy're you complaining?" He tossed her onto the couch and came to sit beside Sollux's head. "It's not like you're goin' to get nook action any other wway." He stuck his fingers in Sollux's face, wriggling them in front of him - Sollux got the message, and as soon as he got the chance he'd clip those claws down until they _bled_ and ride them to completion, pin Eridan down, fully dressed and leave him unsatisfied.

"Erifish, water you glubbing about?" Feferi pushed herself up onto her knees, frowning at the two of them.

"Showwin' you your place. You belong to me noww, Fef." Eridan was smiling again, reaching over to bury his hand in Feferi's hair, posturing, and suddenly Sollux realised why. "That means that my kismesis - the troll you almost got culled - outranks you. I wwant to see your tongue in his nook, noww."

"Wait ED. Pleathe?" Sollux let himself beg - it was what anyone watching would want and expect to see, and it was for _Feferi_.

"Wwhat is it Sol?"

"Let me kith her firtht, pleathe?" And maybe explain it to her in a whisper.

"Go ahead." He laughed and 'dragged' Feferi forward by her hair until she was kneeling over his stomach. "And strip her off wwhile you're at it."

Sollux reached up, pulling Feferi down to lie on top of him, and wrapped his arms around her. He kissed her throat first, moving up to her fin, so that he could whisper to her.

"Play along. There'th camerath recording thith." He didn't know if they got sound as well, but he had to act like they did, and hope they weren't sensitive enough to catch his whisper. He'd have to hack it later, to make sure. Eridan growled, impatiently and Sollux began undressing Feferi, moving slowly and reluctantly.

"Are you okay FF? Can you handle thith?" He was allowed to be concerned for her, and to show it. But even though he didn't want to treat Feferi like his kismesis he could feel his bulge emerging at her closeness.

"I have to, don't I?"

"Yes, you do. Get your tongue into his nook and get it nice and wwet. I'm sure you don't wwant to hurt him wwhen I let him take you in." It was bad porn dialogue, and Sollux had to suppress a laugh on hearing it. Feferi began kissing her way down his body, shaking, but when she looked up, he could see it was with laughter from the glee in her smile.

Feferi kissed his bulge, then moved down past it, one hand cradling it out of her way. He felt her lips wet against his nook, then her tongue pushing slowly, but firmly into him.

"Just shut your eyes, lie back and enjoy it." Eridan put a hand over his eyes and tilted his head back flat. He should defy the breeder, open his eyes and lift his head, strain to see what his matesprit was doing. But he couldn't, not with the way her tongue was opening him up, touching him in places he'd never bothered to touch himself. "Feels good doesn't it? Let me knoww if she fucks up and hurts you." Eridan stroked his hair, brushing against the base of one horn, then left him.

He was naked when he came back, Sollux could feel bare skin pressed against his side, Eridan's partially unsheathed bulge moving against his thigh.

"Fingers noww. Start wwith the smallest, wwriggle it about, then swwitch to another wwhen he relaxes around you." Eridan kissed Sollux, far too gently as Feferi slid one small finger inside him, switched to whispering into his ear. "Vvris used to sit on my face for the first part wwhen she made me prepare her nook." She'd beat him that utterly? Or he'd _let_ her have that sort of complete victory - and was telling Sollux about it now? "I knoww howw to make sure you enjoy this. If you can't handle this, pretend she's hurting you, and I can drag her awway - I'vve told her to pinch your nook or somethin' if she needs to opt out."

That was hugely reassuring, and Sollux felt that he could relax, now that he _knew_ Feferi had a way out. Eridan ran a hand across his chest and down over his stomach to stroke his bulge briefly before pulling away from him.

"You'vve nevver had anythin' in the nook before, havve you? So, whenevver you get somethin' inside you from noww on you'll remember this, and think of me, wwon't you?" He would too.

"Like you'll remember me thplaying you out with my powerth every time _you_ get something up yourth?" He opened his eyes now, looking for Eridan, and he caught the flush in his cheeks. But bantering over Feferi felt _wrong_, and so did trying to include her, so he fell silent as she finished preparing him according to Eridan's instructions. He did push himself up on his elbows, to watch her, and this time Eridan let him. When she pulled her fingers out at the end and sat back on her heels he realised Eridan had cut her claws short and blunt. The breeder flopped down beside them, lying on his back.

"Sol, you get in me first, then Fef can get into you from behind." Sollux bridled at the command, but he obeyed, pushing into Eridan without any hint of preparation. Eridan hissed as Feferi pushed more slowly into Sollux from behind - then he wrapped an arm around them both and pushed them over so that all three of them were lying on their sides. Eridan wrapped one leg over the two of them, touching Sollux, and Feferi, and he lost himself in the feelings. Eridan tightened around him, spilling hot genetic material between them, setting Sollux off, and then Feferi spilt her material inside him, so hot it almost _burned_.

"Fef, go and run a bath for the three of us. It's through that door." Eridan pointed over Sollux's body. "Make it on the cool side."

"ED?" Why was he being so considerate? Sollux shivered as Feferi pulled away from him.

"You're real fragile Sol, and I'd forgotten, Vvris alwways played it off like she wwas tough enough not to care about the temperature difference, but she nevver wwanted to wwalloww in her vvictory afterwwards. And that wwas a much smaller difference. Wwe can handle cold much better than you lot can handle heat."

"I...hurt my Solefish?" Sollux pushed away from Eridan at the sound of Feferi's uncertain voice. She was standing by the door, an unhappy look on her face.

"It'th not your fault FF. ED _made_ you do it." That didn't seem to reassure her. "I'll be okay thoon."

"Quicker if you get that bath run for him." That sent her through the door.


	6. Chapter 6

"Consort Karkat!" He resisted the urge to flinch at the title, Eltice was just tryng to be respectful. At least he still got his name - the concubines refused to address Feferi as anything but 'Second Consort' to a troll.

"What do you need?" He turned to watch the yellowblood approach him, focusing on his face and symmetrically forked horns rather than the arm missing from the elbow down. It was just too rage-inducing to remember that Vriska had been injured worse - and still had no reason to fear culling.

"To talk about our lord." Karkat would normally enjoy the deference in Eltice's voice, but something about how he held himself looked more like guilt.

"What about him" All the concubines had volunteered to belong to Eridan without even _knowing_ him. They'd made their choices and Karkat wasn't going to let them mess things up for everyone with regrets.

"He hasn't...sent for any of us yet." Karkat blinked at Eltice's choice of euphenisms. "Is he...displeased with us?" Palpable anxiety filled the taller troll, and Karkat reached up to pat him on the shoulder.

"No, you've all done what he's asked." He hadn't had trouble with any of the concubines. The worst was their insistence on using 'consort' as a title. They'd even sorted out their own internal hierarchy quietly - mostly by hemocaste, unfortunately. "But he's not going to order you to service him." What should he say? He needed to reassure Eltice, but he couldn't reveal too much about Eridan's reasons. He _wanted_ to trust Eridan's concubines, but he didn't know enough about how much freedom they'd have in the Fleet, or how good they'd be at keeping quiet. "Do you really think _I'm_ waiting about to be summoned?"

"But...you're his consort, that's different."

"He likes courage. You lot get points for not just rolling over and waiting to die when you got hurt. It makes up for none of you having the guts to get in touch ith him on your own, instead of just waiting around for him to contact you with his decision. He's _told_ you that all of you can get involved with each other if you want, so it's not like he's the only person you're allowed to pail. If you're that desperate for a chance at Eridan's nook then have the shameglobes to fucgking _tell_ him. The very worst hell do is tell you 'no' - and you'll get points for courage whatever happens." Karkat turned around and stormed off, only slowing down once he had to be out of Eltice's sight. He came to a stop as he realised the implications of his little rant. Red or pale for Eridan, there was no way he'd let the breeder's first experience of flushed sex be with someone who was only there to avoid being culled. Eridan deserved better.

He started walking again, hurrying to find Eridan before Eltice got the courage to come looking.

Eridan had a book open, purple colour in his cheeks as he read, and Karkat settled down in the cushion pile beside him, leaning against his side. He shut his eyes, reconsidering his impulse to ask to pail Eridan now - he deserved a better first flushed experience than a concubine, but he deserved better than some twisted form of charity too. Eridan was deeply red for Karkat, everything he'd done since claiming him made that clear, but that didn't make him stupid, he was better at reading people than he admitted, and ultrasensitive to any hint of rejection. If Karkat pailed him just to keep one of Eridan's concubines from being his first flushed experience then he'd know about it and be really badly hurt. Especially since Karkat _had_ to report on his conversation with Eltice.

Maybe he should just give the report, resign himself to watching one of the concubines take Eridan's flushed virginity, but the sense of possessive fury that filled him at that idea told him to forget it. Just the thought made him want to tear out Eltice's oh-so-deferential tongue.

"Har?" Eridan stroked his hair, and Karkat looked up to see him frowning down at him. "You're growwlin'. Is somethin' wwrong?"

"I..." What could he say? He hadn't figured anything out, so all he had was the truth. "Eltice asked why you hadn't sent for any of your concubines. I assumed it was because you were waiting for them to offer, and told him to _ask_ if he wanted to pail you."

"You're...angry that I'm bein' as patient wwith them as wwith you? Or because none of my concubines dared approach me?" He looked amused, but sounded oddly wistful.

"Neither. I just...the idea of one of them with you made me want to _hurt_ them." And that just made him angrier, with himself this time, he had _no right_ to think that way about Eridan.

"You're fellin' possessivve a me then?" Eridan smiled at Karkat now, gleeful surmise in his voice. But the smile faded a little as he continued. "I really do wwish fidelity wwas an option for me, but it wwould be risky evven if I had a sea troll matesprit."

"I know that!" Maybe he shouldn't have snapped - but Eridan had been flushed for him when he was free, didn't have to control his temper. "I just...can't stand the idea of one of your concubines being with you before me."

"But you don't care about me bein' wwith them after? Wwhy does it matter? I'vve been pailin' since I wwas wwith Vvriska." Too early in Karkat's opinion, but Eridan hadn't asked for it.

"Yes, but...it's all been pitch. I...don't think you've ever had a flushed relationship." He'd have mentioned it if he had, boasted about having a red fling.

"I havven't no." He shrugged. "A couple of blue breeders offered me the use a their harems." Karkat's shock at that must have shown, because Eridan _blushed_ faintly, and shrugged again. "It's a sort a...courtship gesture, and a token of submission. Blues're supposed to be affiliated wwith another breeder by conscription - their dam if they'vve got one, or a purple. It wwas a couple a swweeps back, so I declined." That made sense, those two had to have been trying to cheat Eridan somehow - even if Karkat wasn't quite clear on what benefits Eridan was supposed to get from his involvement with them. "But evven if I'd agreed, that wwouldn't havve been really flushed, or pitch."

"I guess not. Anyway, I'm saying your first flushed time's supposed to be with someone you feel that way about?"

"And someone wwho feels that wway about you." Eridan moved down to sprawl on the floor beside Karkat, head in his lap, tipped back to bare his throat, supremely confident and utterly trusting. "This a roundabout wway a sayin' that you're ready noww?" His bulge certainly thought so, he could feel it pushing out in reaction to Eridan's presence.

"I...guess it does. I don't want anyone else available to be your first flushed experience. Just the thought makes me want to maim whoever you pick instead." Karkat flushed at his own sheer arrogance - he sounded like a highblood romantic lead talking to his lowblood flushcrush and Eridan should be rightfully furious at his presumption. Instead he looked like it was the most romantic thing he'd ever heard.

"You really mean that, Kar?"

"Wouldn't say it if I didn't." He hesitated and stroked Eridan's cheek, should he admit his earlier feelings? The trouble was he _still_ felt pale for Eridan, even if he was reacting flushed right now. And if Eridan found out later...he _needed_ the breeder stable, couldn't stand the idea of betraying him, or seeming to - and concealing pale feelings while acting flushed _was_ the biggest betrayal possible in a red relationship, the biggest one Karkat was in any position to commit. "Except, I think I feel more pale for you than flushed."

Eridan pushed himself up, moving slowly and carefully, frowning now.

"I'm confused here Kar. You make a classic flushed declaration - evven better, one you'vve obvviously thought about, that fits _our_ circumstance, not just a rote line wwith no regard for wwho I am and wwho you are. Than you tell me that you're _more_ pale for me? Wwantin' to havve me first isn't a pale reaction?"

"But _not_ wanting you to be with someone unworthy of you is. And it's not like I can look for someone better for you." Except he didn't want to either. "And I still want to make you more effective, help you see outside your highblood assumptions. And I still want to be your first flushed lover, paint you scarlet with my genetic material, and paint myself violet with yours. I want to know what sounds you make in the extremes of pleasure, and how to get you to make them." Eridan was smiling again, relaxed and content.

"You...really think that declaration was romantic, and appropriate? It was a _highblood's_ line, not something I should be saying to _you_. I don't have the _right_ to be possessive of you."

"Maybe it's cruel and selfish a me, but I _like_ it wwhen you act possessivve. It makes me feel that you wwant me, care about me, that I'm not just convvenient for you." He worried about that? How could a violet breeder be insecure? Especially one as beautiful as Eridan.

"I...don't care if you're pale for me as wwell as flushed, I just can't be pale for you. Not noww anywway. Can you livve wwith that?" Could he?

"Yes." Karkat climbed into Eridan's lap, wrapping his arms around his neck and kissing him. "I still want to be your first flush - have I ruined the mood for you?"

Eridan laughed and returned his kiss. "I'm no alwways wwet stereotype, but can't you _feel_ howw much I'm in the mood for you?" He opened his legs, and Karkat bit his lip at the feel of Eridan's bulge nudging against his thigh.

"I can now...uh what do you want to do next?" Karkat didn't have any experience after all, not even the pitch experience Eridan had.

"I said you could havve control. Or...are you askin' for suggestions?"

"Yeah, suggestions would be good." He pulled away reluctantly and stood. "And can we go somewhere a bit more comfortable?"

"A course wwe can. I'vve got a concupiscent lounge - it's pretty much required once wwe're fully matured. Maybe that wwill givve you some ideas?" He blushed, and glanced away from Karkat. "I just ordered a standard suite. There's some thing you wwon't wwant to use. Or wwon't be able to." Eridan stood and began leading Karkat through his hive.

"Won't be able to use?"

"Standard suite includes a couple a boxes of restraints, and another couple a boxes of wwhat I think're black play toys. The restraints wwould be loose on Sol, and evven if they'd fit on me they wwouldn't hold."

"I don't want to tie you down!" Karkat snapped at Eridan in shock, then considered the implications of Eridan's words. "I...would you _let_ me if I did?" It wasn't right if he would...you didn't bind a quadrant, not even a kismesis. And highbloods never made themselves as vulnerable as Eridan was...suggesting, or was it offering?

"In theory I don't havve a problem wwith it - I mean you'd let me free if I needed it. But...practically it's not really an option - not unless you're talking about usin' something I could break just as a reminder not to movve."

Oh, yeah. It would put them _all_ at risk if Eridan bought restraints that would hold him - he had _no_ reason to do that - not a publically acceptably reason anyway.

"Is there actually a way it would be socially acceptable for you to buy that sort of restraints?" He really didn't want to tie Eridan up or down, or anything but Eridan had brought it up, and he'd been so inventive in finding ways around what he was supposed to do that Karkat wondered if he had an idea for that too.

"Only if I defeat another sea breeder, geld and spay her, and force him into my harem. That's far too risky."

"Yeah, whether I can control them or not." And he wished he believed that he could. "I don't want highbloods in the harem apart from Feferi. Is there _really_ nothing you want from this?"

"Wwell...if you must knoww...I'd like to taste your nook?" He slanted an oddly coy glance at Karkat as he stopped in front of a door - that must be the concupiscent lounge. Karkat stayed quiet until they were inside the block - Eridan had sounded like he thought he was asking _Karkat_ for a favour.

"You really want to...service me like that?" Why would _any_ highblood want to do that? Was it some sort of kink thing? He'd seen a couple of movies where that sort of thing had happened between matesprits, but it had always been something the lowblood had done for their higher ranked lover, and treated like the extreme display of submission it _was_, just like the one film where the paranoid highblood had wanted to restrain their lowblood matesprit had treated _that_ like an aberration, a display of total devotion. So why was Eridan offering these things so casually?

"It's only servvicin' wwhen you're preparin' someone to take you in, isn't it? I...thought it wwas different in the flushed quadrant." Now Eridan looked unhappy and uncertain. Karkat reached up and papped him, earning himself a startled look and a chuckle - but Eridan had _said_ he could be pale for him, given him permission for this, hadn't he?

"If it's what you want to do I won't say no. And this is flushed, so as long as we're both happy with it then I guess it's fine. I just didn't expect the offer." Anything besides fingers in the nook usually belonged in the pitch quadrant, but he couldn't say that, make Eridan feel that his desires were aberrant. "Let me undress you?" He stepped back and smiled at Eridan, pleased when the breeder returned his smile.

"Yeah, go ahead. Just tell me wwhat you wwant me to do."

"Uh..." He glanced around the block, assessing it properly. "Can you stand in front of the concupiscent couch please?" It would be easiest to start with the trousers, Karkat wanted to make this good for Eridan, but he couldn't keep asking him to stand up and down, or move him to undress him, and he didn't want Eridan lying down yet, that felt like it would be moving too fast.

For all he'd been lounging around, Eridan was wearing formal trousers and a belt, Karkat started with that, once Eridan was in position, unfastening the simple buckle and reaching around his waist to pull it from the loops.

"Uh...do you want me to fold your clothes up or anything?" Eridan's hive wasn't exactly tidy, but his clothes were always put away properly, never left lying about.

"You don't have to. I'm just goin' to put it back on once wwe're finished." Eridan shrugged. "But if leavvin' evverythin' in a pile wwill be botherin' you feel free to make it all look neat."

Permission given Karkat tossed the belt aside, and went for the buttons on Eridan's trousers - he didn't get why Eridan had buttons, instead of a zip like any normal troll, Gamzee didn't, and _Equius_ wore pants he could just pull on. He pulled them down to Eridan's knees, followed by his briefs, and glanced up at him.

"Can you sit down now please?"

"A course." Karkat knelt as Eridan sat, and pulled off his slippers, putting them to one side before removing Eridan's trousers and briefs in one go. He kicked his own slippers off as he stood, then climbed into Eridan's lap.

"Mind if I hold you for a bit, Kar?" He didn't have to ask, so why was he?

"Yeah, go ahead." Karkat wrapped his own arms around Eridan's waist, resting his head against his broad chest as Eridan cradled him gently in his arms. _This_ was right, how it was supposed to be, Karkat wrapped up in his master's embrace, protected. And if he didn't really _want_ to be protected? That just meant there was something wrong with him - it wasn't like _he_ could protect Eridan in any meaningful way.

He stretched up to kiss Eridan's throat, a common enough piece of foreplay - Eridan _should_ cradle Karkat's head in one hand, controlling him so that he could pull Karkat away if he pushed too far, instead Eridan released him, and leaned back a little, hands on the couch and head tilted right back, utterly submissive. Karkat gentled his touch, laving Eridan's throat with tongue and lips, avoiding any hint of teeth - not that _his_ blunt teeth were that much of a threat.

Once he had Eridan purring under his lips Karkat pulled back, and began opening his shirt, slowly working his way down from the throat to his waist, kissing Eridan's chest as he bared the skin. He kissed his way back up, nuzzling again at Eridan's throat as he pushed his shirt off his shoulders and down his arms. He pulled back, reluctantly, but he _still_ didn't really know what he wanted to do with Eridan.

"Do you want to undress me now?"

"If that's wwhat you wwant. Or I can wwait for you wwhile you look around, see if you get any ideas about wwhat you wwant to do."

"Oh, yeah, that's a good idea." He slid down from Eridan's lap and waved vaguely at the trunks against one wall. "I'll just look through those, see if it gives me any inspiration. You lie back and wait for me?" That was far too much like an order, and Karkat waited for Eridan to object, or assert his own desires the way he should.

Eridan nodded and stretched out on the hugh flat concupiscent couch, Karkat watched in fascinated disbelief as he arranged himself in open invitation.

"This wwork for you Kar?" He glanced away, looking freakishly coy. "Or wwould you rather I didn't wwatch you until you say I can?"

"No, you're fine as you are. You can tell me if I pick up anything you'd rather I left alone."

"I told you, you can do anythin' you wwant. I knoww you're not goin' to evven try to hurt me, and as long as you don't try to hurt _yourself_ usin' me I can't think of anythin' I'd say no to." He shouldn't be trusting Karkat for that, no matter how red he was. Karkat swallowed and turned to open the biggest of the trunks against the wall.

"Concupiscent mats?" He turned to look at Eridan with a frown. What were those doing rolled up in there?

"I should havve put those in the harem." Eridan was laughing at himself, and shaking his head. "I _told_ you all that you could pair up and register to contribute if you wwanted, but I forgot to give you anywwhere comfortable to actually _do_ it."

"Uh yeah. Put them in our blocks. Maybe we could set one of the empty blocks as _our_ concupiscent lounge?"

"A course you can. You interested in any a them?"

"What? Fuck no. I'm not such an ungrateful douchenozzle that I'd take even _more_ advantage of your generosity."

"And _I'm_ not such a hypocrite that I'd insist on you bein' faithful wwhen I can't be, not as long as you take your pleasures _safely_ - wwhich means inside my household."

"Uh...yeah. I appreciate that." He turned back to the boxes, opening one - and slamming it closed at the sight of knives inside it. "But, fuck! I'm not the sort of troll who cheats on his quadrants, and I'm not interested in anyone in your harem black." And even if he had felt that way about any of the concubines, Karkat didn't think he could afford to act on it. He'd _never_ use it that way, but Eridan's favour was far too powerful a weapon in their little world for any of the concubines to enter a consenseual kismessitude with him.

"It's not cheatin' if evverybody knowws about it and agrees." Eridan sounded sulky, and Karkat looked back to see him pouting and looking down at the concupiscent couch, purple tinting his cheeks. Karkat silently cursed himself and climbed onto the couch with him. He trembled a little as he took hold of Eridan's chin, lifting it so he could kiss him.

"You're right. I'm sorry." And shocked at the way Eridan had let Karkat move him. "I just...never thought I could be that desirable." What Eridan had said...it applied to breeders, and maybe other particularly powerful highbloods, people important enough that part of their attention was worth all of yours, not to a cullbait mutant like Karkat.

"Just, try to remember, wwhen you insult yourself, you're insultin' my taste too."

"I will." He needed to change the subject - and he had the perfect diversion. "I...that box was full of knives."

"Doesn't make sense to me either. But I told you there wwere some things you wwouldn't be interested in usin' on me. You wwant to explore a bit more?" Was that an order? Karkat figured that if it was, Eridan would correct him when he ignore it.

"No, I'd rather just stick to simple stuff." He began pulling his clothes off as he spoke.

"Yeah, simple's good." There was a husky sound to Eridan's voice as he lay back with a smile, opening his legs and making his body fully available to Karkat. He even closed his eyes and tipped his head back to bare his throat, offering himself up almost as if _Karkat_ owned him.

Karkat swallowed against a suddenly dry throat. Eridan was making himself stunningly vulnerable - more than Karkat could imagine making himself - a humbling display of trust, or a breathtaking display of arrogance. Or both. But whatever it was, he couldn't keep fussing about it, and those gill slits looked so strange, he just had to explore them. He rested a hand on Eridan's stomach for support, and leaned down to kiss the end of one gill slit.

"Ah, Kar?" He froze, had he fucked up _already_? Eridan hadn't _said_ his gill slits were off limits, or was that something he just assumed was a given? "Point a information, those're pretty delicate, so please be gentle." But he hadn't moved, glancing up Karkat could see that he hadn't even opened his eyes. It was trust then, more than Karkat could possibly deserve.

"I will." He kissed his way down over Eridan's thoracic cage, following the line of the gill, as far as he could. Then he licked up along the gill, feeling the edges move beneath his tongue. It wasn't comfortable, and he sat back on his heels, ignoring the soft, disappointed sound Eridan made to look over his body and try to work out the logistics.

He swung one leg over Eridan's nearer thigh and leaned forward, trapping his own bulge between their bodies, and pressing his thigh against Eridan's nook. Eridan gave a soft, purring trill as his bulge wrapped around Karkat's hip, and Karkat kissed the corner of the gill slit nearest his mouth. He licked down, careful, oh so careful, one hand on the couch, the other running over Eridan's far hip, and Eridan trilled louder, gill _opening_ under his tongue, revealing soft textured flesh underneath.

"Hang on a moment." Karkat sat back up, and reached down to stroke Eridan's bulge. He...wanted a traditional first flush, even if Eridan's long claws and nearly bulge sized fingers were intimidating, so...external only it was. He took hold of the tip of Eridan's bulge, lifting it, and pushed himself up to guide it between his legs to press against his own nook and against his ass. "Is...this okay?" It wasn't what Eridan had asked for, but his bulge was moving eagerly against Karkat's nook.

"If it's wwhat you wwant. You okay wwith me just lyin' here, or do you wwant me a bit more activve?"

"Stroke my back, and my hair, please?" Karkat leaned forward again, rocking his nook against Eridan's bulge and rubbing the outside of Eridan's nook with his knee as he went back to that same gill, licking it open to Eridan's trills. Eridan reached down, groping around until one hand rested hot on Karkat's shoulder, and the other on his head, thumb rubbing against one horn.

He moaned into Eridan's gill, servicing it like a nook, and rocking faster and faster as the sensations overwhelmed him. They spilled together, like matesprits should, Eridan's material splashing hot against Karkat's back, and Karkat's own spilling cool between them.

"I...s-sorry Eridan." He stumbled over his words as he collapsed on top of Eridan.

"Wwhat for?" Eridan sat up, gathering Karkat into his lap easily.

"I'm too sensitive now. Can't give you what you want."

"Maybe next time then, or the time after that. I can wwait until you're ready." Eridan kept on petting Karkat, until he relaxed again, boneless. "Or maybe, if you wwant it, givven the size difference...I havve pailin' toys sized for breeders and for normal trolls."

"Maybe." That sounded good, but he didn't want to think about next time just yet.


	7. Chapter 7

Feferi sat down on Sollux's lap, wrapping her arms around his shoulders, and nuzzling his throat.

"FF." He kissed one horn. "Good to thee you again. ED, _now_ will you tell me why you wanted uth all here?"

"You knoww it's not long until Conscription. The ships captained by breeders arrivve a bit early and wwe get notified a wwhich breeders are interested in advvance. There's fourteen breeders wwilin' to take on a breeder not a their line this Conscription. I can apply for a place with one a them, or just claim a position on one a the regular ships."

"Nice as it is to hear about weird breeder customs and culture, what's all this got to do with us?" Feferi silently agreed with Karkat, and looking up she realised that Sollux was just as puzzled.

"It affects all a you, wwhat I decide to do - if you don't wwant the input you can just stay quiet, but I wwant you all to be informed at least - I'll need to take you all wwith me to the intervvieww if I get to it. And Sol...if wwe decide I should apply to a breeder's ship I'll need your hackin' skills to help me figure out wwhich twwo I should apply to."

"Why not jutht apply to all of them?"

"Beside's the fact that they're _told_ howw many applications I'vve made - and more than three's an automatic rejection? By applyin' I'm offerin' to make the damless' bargain - it's our equivvalent a the orphan's choice - and I wwant to make sure the price is goin' to be one I'm wwillin' to pay."

"Wait...you're telling us that _breeders_ have to think about trading pailing? For what exactly?"

"Sollux...water they talking about?" Trading pailing? Who'd do something like that?

"So, you wwant to educate your matesprit, or shall I? Kar, I'll explain more once Fef's got the basics."

"I will." The arm around her waist tightened a little as Sollux's other hand came up to pet her hair. "Trollth who don't havve a luthuth, who lothe them before about four or five thweepth jutht die - motht of them. Above that age they can choothe to look for an older troll - or even jutht a highblood - who can take care of them and offer to therve them in return. That includeth pailing if they want."

"Oh, that's terribubble." She shivered at the thought.

"Tell her the rest Sollux." Karkat sounded angry at _Sollux_, not what he was describing, but why?

"Helmthman grade telekineticth can 'volunteer' for early recruitment at any age. I don't know how to workth for breederth."

"I don't think that's wwhat Kar meant, Sol." Eridan was _laughing_ about trolls four or five sweeps old bein forced to pail trolls approaching Conscription. "A troll wwith enough resources before Conscription to support another troll is probably highblooded enough to keep them as a slavve _on_ Conscription. And fuck, you knoww that Gam's practically an orphan in all but name, has been since he wwas three or four swweeps old, any troll high ranked enough to keep a slavve can get awway wwith losin' a lusus - although Vvris couldn't get awway wwith 'losing' hers until she wwas eight.

"A breeder wwho loses his lusus and can't provvide proof that she avvenged it - includin' proof he killed the perpetrator, not just the nearest troll or large predator - is spayed, and no longer classed as a breeder. If she tries to hide the loss and gets caught he'll be spayed, crippled and sold at auction, usually as a concubine.

"Anywway th damless' bargain's a lot better than the orphan's choice. For one thing, wwe're transferred before our captain could decide to challenge us, so wwe don't havve to wwory about any...unagreed extensions. And wwe get to negotiate the price - some of it can be shifted to our households. For example, Fef, if I apply to a breeder captain she'll probably demand some control ovver howw I use your life extension abilities. He might just wwant to givve me a list of wwho I can trade it wwith, or she might demand control ovver so many extensions evvery swweep."

"That sounds reasonabubble enough. But water _you_ going to get in return?"

"A mentor. That's one a the things I'll need you to find out for me Sol, howw wwell their prior proteges have done after leavvin' their ships. There's all sorts a advvantages to bein' on a breeder's ship. It's a layer a extra protection against challenges, because my captain's approvval wwould be needed. And I'd get extra trainin' in howw to fight and more experience before I ad to face a real challenge.

"I'd also be introduced around by my captain wwhich wwould givve me the basis for buildin' myself a netwwork a contacts."

"Tho, if it'th tho great for you, why aren't you jutht applying? What'th the downthide - other than having to thervice your captain?" He pulled Feferi back to his chest, tension thrumming through his body as he cradled her.

"Oh, come on Sol, you knoww I don't havve a problem wwith _that_. As long as it doesn't get any blacker or more unbalanced than wwhat I had wwith Vvris I'll be fine." Feferi shut her eyes, and leaned into Sollux's chest - he'd been in that unbalanced relationship for _her_ because she was too weak to do her own killing.

"If you must knoww the dowwnsides are all about you. I can't protect you from my captain if she's a breeder, not the wway I can if he isn't. If a breeder accepts me I can't spend the next half-swweep in orbit makin' sure you just learn the techniques for the Helm instead a bein' broken to it - I'll havve to get Gam or Eq to stay and take care a you instead. And that's all assumin' you're not goin' to havve territorial issuea about my captain takin' me in wwhen it's impossible for you."

"ED, you know I don't care about thtupid highblood thatuth gameth."

"Do you really think acting irrational about quadrant infringements is something only highbloods do?" Karkat sounded scornfully amused. "Even if it's just imaginary and we don't have the _right_ to be possessive about them." He finished on a rueful note.

"Kar, I like _you_ bein' possessivve. Matter a fact I'm a little insulted at howw well Sol's taking the idea a my captain takin' me in." Feferi opened her eyes to look at Eridan. Was she imagining the hint of hurt in his voice? It certainly wasn't showing on his face.

"You made thut I wouldn't _think_ about taking a highblood in ever again." Feferi flinched at the bitterness in Sollux's voice - he'd forgiven _her_ for hurting him like that, but obviously not Eridan.

"Guess I did at that." Eridan laughed at the idea, looking smug about it. "You do get that it wwas aimed at Fef, not you, as far as anyone wwatchin' those feeds you found wwould knoww or care?"

"Yeth, I know. Teaching me my place wath jutht a thide-benefit. I _thtill_ don't want to do anything like that ever again."

"Sol...you knoww I don't think of you that wway...don't you?" Was Eridan's voice rising in hurt or anger? As she watched Karkat climbed into Eridan's lap and reached up to pap him. He didn't get the chance, Eridan caught his hand, and kissed it, ever so carefully. "Not outa control right noww, Kar. Sol, you get that if I wwanted you to 'knoww your place' I'd nevver havve made you my kismesis?"

"Yeth ED, I know that." Sollux spoke slowly and clearly, and Eridan stiffened visibly. "We were talking about what nothy outthiderth would think."

"Yeah, I just wwanted to make sure wwe both separated reality and the official line the same wway. Speakin' a outsiders...remember howw I said I'd havve to punish you if any a them caught you wwith Fef?" He looked very serious now, and Feferi shivered.

"You're not going to make FF do that again." Sollux's arms tightened protectively around her. She shouldn't _need_ to be protected, and she certainly shouldn't feel a sense of satisfaction and security in how quickly Sollux moved to defend her, but she did. There was a bitter sort of humour in how quickly she'd adapted to her new place as Eridan's second consort, nothing more to him than a trophy taken from his kismesis.

"No, that could be misread as _rewwardin'_ you." With _her_ body. "But draggin' you to a medeviscerator or docterrorist for check ups wwould look properly possessivve."

"You can't do that Eridan!" Karkat sounded highbloodedly scandalised - what was _wrong_ with getting Sollux proper treatment, Feferi wondered resentfully. "Do you want them to think you don't consider Sollux _worth_ patching up yourself?"

"KK, he thaid he'd leave me limping from _pailing_. I don't _want_ ED trying to 'patch up' my bulge."

"Actually, I had somethin' else in mind. If it wwas just pailin' I wwouldn't need to patch you up - you'd be chafed and bruised at the hip maybe, not much more. But thanks for pointin' out howw greens might see things Kar. It's...not unheard of for a breeder wwith a psionic kismesis to absolutely _wwreck_ his nook, on the basis that she's nevver goin' to get any use out a it. I'd nevver go that far, but I thought if I leavve scratches from my clawws and wwash it out wwith a painful antiseptic, one that I ask for in advvance..."

"So they'll know you've got plans for him, and that you want to avoid infection. That's...actually pretty romantic."

"If Sol's okay wwith the idea. I wwon't do it if you don't think it's somethin' you can handle. And...the other idea I had wwas if you still had genetic material dried on your skin wwhen I took you to get your nook checked out."

"I don't know. Whothe material would it be?" Sollux was shaking a little at the thought - Feferi couldn't blame him, this entire digression was horrifying, that Eridan would be planning on demeaning Sollux so badly.

"Wwell yours for certain. And it wwould look odd if mine wwasn't there. And dependin' on if you already had Fef's material on you wwhen you get caught..."

"Umm...if it helps I can assure you that he won't get distracted and go too far." Karkat blushed brightly as he spoke. "He''ll tell you how hot you look, but he'll stay in control throughout."

"Don't say that like it's impressivve Kar." Eridan was almost pouting, reverting to his earlier emotional volatility in safe company. "You knoww I don't enjoy passivvity in a lovver Sol. And that sort of game's not safe to play wwith anyone who _isn't_ passivve wwhile I'vve got my clawws inside them." He spread his fingers, displaying his long, sharp breeder's claws. Feferi thought she'd be too scared to _move_ with those inside of her, but Karkat looked annoyed.

"But it's okay for you to rub at my nook when I've got most of my fingers - most of my fucking _hand_ - inside of you?"

"Wwell...yes. You've got nice tidy wworker's claws." He lifted Karkat's hand to his mouth, kissing each claw in turn. "Wwe can talk about you takin' a more activve role in that sort a play if my claws are evver cut dowwn." He looked at Sollux and at Feferi and smiled. "But wwith you, Sol, there'd havve to be evvidence that I'd suppressed your powwers."

"You mean they'd tetht for your venom."

"Yes, they wwould." Eridan chuckled ruefully. "I wwas hopin' that wwould be a surprise for you the first time I used it." He shrugged and continued speaking. "Since you already knoww about it, I can explain one more a the benefits a makin' the damless' bargain is regular exposure to my captain's vvenom. Our vvenom gets more potent as you go up the hemospectrum and as wwe get older. It nevver gets lethal for some reason, but the other thing that increases the potency is if wwe'vve had an elder breeder's vvenom."

"Tho, that giveth you what?" Feferi couldn't see the benefit in being regularly poisoned either.

"Wwe're not affected at all by vvenom significantly less potent than our owwn. And the degree wwe're affected by stronger vvenom depends on the _difference_ in potency." He paused, watching them all expectantly.

"And all the challenge fights between breeders in the movies end with a bite. Anything you can do to make your venom stronger makes it more likely that you'll win, doesn't it?"

"Yes. And so does bein' a better fighter. Wwinnin's about howw much vvenom you can get into your rivval. That, or doin' enough damage to put them out a commission. Anywway Sol, do you think you can handle wwaht wwe'vve been talkin' about?" Feferi stiffened on Sollux's lap - that was a _challenge_ and no troll would refuse a challenge from his kismesis. Eridan seemed to realise that too, because his eyes widened, and he hastily continued before Sollux had a chance to answer. "That's _not_ a challenge Sol. You think I'm askin' too much a you wwe can just go back to the straight black pailin' idea."

"I don't know if I can." There was painful honesty in Sollux's voice. "Could we...try it out while we're thtill onplanet? And if a breeder captain acceptth you then you can do it again, and the deliver me for helmthman training in person."

"Along wwith wwhoevver I havve takin' care a you, yes." Eridan nodded, looking at Sollux with the sort of respect he'd never shown Feferi. "So you wwant me to try to join a breeder captain. And you're offerin' to givve me a clear vvictory before you go into helmsman training. Wwhat do you wwant in return?"

"We're all thafer if you're thtronger when you have to take challengeth." Sollux pointed that out with dry humour in his voice. "And what are you willing to offer me in return?"

"Hmm...for the dry run I'll roll ovver for you a night before wwe first intervvieww wwith a breeder captain, givve you as much of a fight as you wwant and let you leavve _discreet_ marks." He lifted a hand, letting his sleeve fall abck to expose his full wrist. "It looks good for the both a us if you're a wworthy opponent wwith some sense a restraint."

"Strong enough and willing enough to fight that it doesn't look like he's a black consort in all but name, and smart enough not to screw us all over by embarraassing you in front of someone who can give you more power to protect us."

"Exactly Kar. Sol, that wwork for you?"

"Let FF take care of me after the dry run." He kissed her cheek and spoke to her directly. "You can do that for me, can't you FF?"

"I can try. I _want_ to kelp you, but...I don't know if I can." Tyrians were _supposed_ to be able to heal, but she'd never learned how.

"I'll tell the concubines to come to you to get minor stuff fixed so you can get some practice in wwithout wworryin' about the results a failure. Are you okay wwith me tryin' for a place wwith an elder breeder then, Fef?"

"Off course I am. Conchestly, why wouldn't I be - the only difference is they get to pick some of the trolls I kelp to live longer."

"Yeah. Wwhatevver happens I wwon't knoww howw much freedom I can givve you onboard until wwe're settled in on the ship. Sol, higher grades're expected to report earlier than common conscripts, so you'll be processed early wwhatevver happens." How did that follow? But Sollux was nodding as if it made sense. "Let me remind you that showwin' up wwith evvidence a my regard on your body's an extra bit a protection wwhile you're trainin'. Wwith that in mind, I'm perfectly happy to schedule the delivery for wwhen I havve to report, and for you to leavve lots a evvidence that you put up a fight."

"I _know_ it'th to my benefit. I wouldn't have offered otherwithe." Feferi glanced up to see a feral grin on Sollux's face. "But if you're going to let me mark up your pretty face I won't thay no."

"Isn't reporting with visible - unconcealable - marks a dangerous display of weakness?"

"Even Vvriska didn't wwant a kismesis wwho'd roll over and let her wwin all a the time - just most of it. A course I don't knoww if she evver figured out I wwas _lettin'_ her wwin, but that's beside the point."

"She didn't know. Not until Kanaya explained it to her after Sollux proposed to you." Feferi explained eagerly, happy to hear a question _she_ could answer.

"Right, I already kneww she's not as smart as she thinks she it - her powwers can make her lazy about readin' people. I look wweak and cowwardly if my kismesis isn't strong enough to stand up to me and givve me somethin' to remember him by."

"Oh, yeah. Sorry Sollux. I should have known that, it's a fucking blackrom classic - Ijust. Fuck, sorry Eridan, I keep on forgetting how stupid it is for _me_ to be protective of you."

"No Kar, _I'm_ sorry." Eridan kissed the tip of one horn and Feferi looked away - this wasn's something she should be watching, even if Eridan didn't care about that. "It's not fair to expect you to ignore your protectivve instincts, especially wwhen I'm relying on your insight to help me see things I might otherwwise miss. And it's really not fair to keep information from you."

"Except you're _not_. The entire reason you called this meeting was to keep us all informed and get our opinions about a decision you need to make." He laughed, and Feferi peeked up to see him ducking his head. "I still should have known better. Always beating your kismesis doesn't make you look _strong_."

"And alwways losin's only marginally better. You wwant your spade as close to an equal as you can get. That's wwhy you never hear about a breeder wwith anythin' but a psionic or another breeder in her spade." Eridan shook his head. "Anywway Kat, howw do you feel about me makin' the damless' bargain? You're the only one wwho hasn't givven an opinion yet."

"Because I'm going to be the least affected. I wwon't be payin' for any a the benefits this offers or at extra risk because you won't be there to protect me in person."

"Kar, try not to antagonise _my_ kismesis. And it is goin' to affect you - I'll havve to pay Eq's probable price in advvance. I'm entitled to up to twwo guards for my harem, as part a my household."

"Oh, right." That explanation seemed to mean more to Karkat than it did to Feferi. "Nepeta's given up that crush she had on me - Vriska makes her a lot happier than I could. Who'd be in charge, me or her?"

"That isn't prescribed - it's up to me, to wwho I support more, if I care to intervvene. Do you wwant me to make a decree either wway, or wwould you rather establish dominance between the twwo of you?"

"Let us work it out between us - if I can't assert my control with the benefit of my established position I don't deserve to be in charge." Karkat answered more harshly than Feferi would have, but Eridan laughed in what sounded like genuine pleasure at that.

"I don't doubt that you'll showw her not to mess wwith you in short order Kar. Noww, Sol, I'll get a list a wwho the breeder captains interested in takin' on a protege this Conscription are in twwo or three nights, along wwith basic files. I'll send them ovver to you to research, along wwith wwhat I need to knoww, but do you wwant me to do the first round elimination myself first?"

"I don't know. How long will that take you?" Feferi wanted to giggle at the skepticism in Sollux's voice.

"It shouldn't take too long." She'd thought Sollux had been challenging Eridan, hadn't he, so why was he so calm about his answer? "I'll just be lookin' for one a the twwo obvious dealbreakers for me - a black harem, or bein' a blueblood. And I'll split out the captains I only wwant you toresearch if you hit enough other dealbreakers to reduce the preferred list to...three I think."

"Erifin? Why is the captain being a blueblood a dealbreaker?" She didn't get it.

"Fuck Feferi, you're an embarrassment. I'm an outcaste mutant, you're a tyrian - I shouldn't be explaining this to _you_." Heat flared in Feferi's cheekbones at Karkat's amused exasperation. "A blueblood breeder - even a captain - won't be able to help keep us safe. I'm sort of surprised that an indigo captain would?" He glanced up at Eridan with a frown as he finished.

"Not as wwell as a sea breeder captain wwould, no. That's wwhy indigobloods are last resorts, along with captains wwho havve a black consort or havven't had any proteges before." He laughed, looking almost embarrassed. "But it's not exactly likely there'll be any blue or indigo captains lookin' to take on a protege. Out a fifty breeder captains only three are indigo and twwo blue. The rest are all vviolet." He shrugged now. "I just wwant evverything tied dowwn securely _noww_ if I can manage it."

"Tho, what'th reathon for me to thtop checking out a breeder?"

"If he's got a history a killin' or cripplin' her kismeses, or his proteges or if she's got more than one failed protege in his harem. I'll wwrite a full list dowwn for you later, or type it up, but wwhat it comes dowwn to is anythin' that tells us if she's got a hitory of failin' his proteges or of usin' them. Some of it's goin' to be obvvious a course, but some of the signa are real contextual. Like leavvin' your mentor's ship wwith a harem less than twwice the size of the one you had at Conscription."

"You're expected to double your harem in - how long did you say you'd be staying with your first captain?" Feferi glanced up at Sollux, she could see that he shared Karkat's disbelieving shock too.

"It depends, if a breeder captain accepts me I'll be movved shortly after my fifth season - so it could be anything from just ovver fifteen sweeps to just under thirty.

"As to doublin' my harem in that time...first you do all knoww the alternativve to non-criminal cullin', don't you?"

"There'th an alternative?" At least Feferi wasn't the only one this was news to. In fact _Karkat_ looked confused too.

"Right, wwell...other than criminals, trolls wwho're due to be culled can choose to be put up for auction instead. And they get to decide wwhat they can be sold for, at least the first time.

"Auctions for concubines are held twwice a swweep, wwith breeders entitled to buy havvin' the chance to set up meetin's betwween the neww slavves wwho catch their eye, and either themselvves or their designated representativves.

"Kar, that wwould be you, and I'll havve to send a guard wwith you. Subject to my captain's approvval if he's a breeder, I'm entitled to up to twwo replacements for any concubine wwho dies and to add half the number a concubines in my harem at the time after evvery successful season.

"What happenth if you hav an odd number, do you round up or down?"

"And what about breeders who don't take a harem on Conscription? Are they committing to never having concubines?" Why did Karkat think _that_ mattered?

"You mean like if a breeder has his quadrants filled on Conscription then loses one?" Any breeder with an empty harem and concupiscent quadrant after a successful season is entitled to buy up to half as many concubines as she could have brought into the Fleet with him. So a sea breeder for instance could buy up to fivve concubines in order to start her harem late.

"Sol, if wwe already havve an odd number then the limit's rounded to an odd number. So our theoretical sea breeder starting her harem late could add up to three concubines after his next successful season. And if the only changes in my harem between noww and my fourth season wwas addin' the maximum allowwed after each season I could buy up to thirteen concubines in the next swweep."

"Tho after ten theathons you could have four hundred and fifty concubineth?"

"In theory, yes. But that's enugh to creww - ovvercreww really - some a the smaller ships. I don't wwant a harem a more than...a hundred at most - and that's after I'vve got a ship a my owwn and can get them to do some a the admin wwork or somethin' else useful wwhere no one else gets to see most a them.

"Speakin' a doin' something useful...Fef, I wwant you to think about wwhether you'd be okay wwith trainin' as a medevviscerator if I can arrange it." He remembered how much she'd _wanted_ that? Feferi was going to give him an eager yes, but Karkat interrupted, sounding unhappy.

"Won't putting your concubines to work look bad though? And how will people react to you having Feferi trained as a medeviscerator?"

"I said once I'vve got my owwn ship that's wwhat I'll wwant Kar, and no, it's kind a taken for granted that any breeder wwith a ship and a harem wwill get at least some of the wwork that doesn't invvolvve dealin' wwith outsiders done by his harem. I look...sentimental at best if none a them can do _that_ much. The same applies if I actually havve to buy or hire a personal secretary wwhen I come to need one instead a givvin' one a my concubines the 'honour'.

"And as long as I attach a _real_ docterrorist or medeviscerator to my ousehold once I'vve got the rank for it gettin' Fef some trainin' just showws that I'vve got a pragmatic streak to go wwith the subtle and invventivve cruelty."

"Cruelty...oh, fuck, it's a status thing, isn't it? Everyone's going ot think you're punishing her for her termerity in being Sollux's matesprit. How does being so obsessive over him look?"

"I'm a bit young to be havvin' such an _extreme_ reaction, but breeders are expected to be possessivve about their quadrant, evven more than most highbloods.

"Fef, don't givve me an answwer until you'vve really thought about this. You'd be under the same discipline as any other trainee and because it wwould look like a punishment the only protection I could givve you wwould be to forbid scarrin' you or puttin' you in a condition wwhere you _can't_ servve me, but that still leavves a lot a room to hurt a seadwweller."

"No one would expect you to care if she was hurting, as long as she was physically capable of doing what you wanted - or am I wrong?" Karkat sounded equally concerned and _amused_ by the idea. "And I'd lay odds the greens who'd be teaching you would just _love_ an excuse to 'punish' a seadweller."

"You're right about the expectations and assumptions about my motivves and meaning, Kar, and _I_ wwouldn't take that bet about the greens. Anywway Fef, don't givve me an answwer until you'vve considered all a that.

"Sol, sorry, wwe got really sidetracked, wwhat do you wwant me to do about that list?"

"Jutht thend me the criteria and thet your thythtem to forward the litht to me - you can do that, can't you?"

"A course I can, I redirect it to my personal mail anywway." Feferi glanced over at Eridan, trying to read the tension in his body, did Sollux really think he was going to answer his challenge with a no? "Once you'vve got my registry address you can start holdin' you end a lookin' obsessivve ovver each other up."

"You were theriouth then. When you hinted you'd let me fight over you." Feferi looked at Sollux now, his face was as blank as his voice. Surely he found the idea of him firghting over _Eridan_ as wrong as she did. "And what happenth if I get caught?"

"Think you'd knoww the consequences a bein' caught hackin' Imperial databases better than I wwould. As to bein' caught in my mail - it depends on wwhat you're caught doin'. Activvely interferin' wwith Imperial correspondence other than to make sure _you're_ the one dealin' wwith any rivvals is goin' to be seen as a lack a sefl-discipline serious enough to be handled abovve my head. If you're mostly just lookin' no-one's goin' to care, uless they wwant to set off a fight by lettin' me knoww about it."

"To be clear - I can thpy on your mail all I want, and delay meththageth about anyone trying to thteal your thpade and I'll jutht have to fight you if I'm caught. Anything elthe and you can't keep me from ending up a helmthman.

"Do I have to lothe that fight?"

"No, a course not. Might evven look better if you wwon - although I wwon't throww it, and it really should be a recurrin' issue I think.

"There's one more thing Sol - if you havven't had notification a your first Contribution yet you'll get it soon, and you should really do some dry runs before you face the drones." With that he stood and led Karkat out - Feferi could recognise the indirect order by now.

"Do...you want me to get a practise pail then, Solefish?"


	8. Chapter 8

Eridan inspected his companions one last time before they left for his interview with Captain Iceheart. This was his first interview, and he didn't really know what to expect.

Kanaya had really come through when she designed the uniforms for his harem. It wasn't at all revealing, the dark grey tunics were high necked and fell to the knees over black leggings, making Karkat look almost as delicate as Feferi did.

Neither of them _were_ delicate, but Karkat was solidly muscled, despite his small size, and somehow Feferi never looked anything but delicate. Maybe because she looked so much like the Condesce, only scaled down by a third.

Even Sollux looked reasonably good, better than Eridan'd expected if he was honest with himself. He was wearing a real - albeit lowblood cut - shirt, in black, open at the throat, with his sign embroidered highblood style at the corners of the collar. He was wearing heavy grey work trousers - the same grey as Karkat and Feferi's tunics - and someone had talked him into black workboots with red and blue laces. Still the colours and duality theme he was so fond of, but a nicely subtle display, almost classy.

He was still wearing his red and blue glasses, but he wore his kismesis bracer too, as well as the matesprit ring Feferi had given him. Eridan glanced down at his own ring, reminded again that Feferi had paid for it, even if Sollux had designed it. At least that was a private insult, even though the jewels set around the band were publicly insulting.

"Well, do we pass inspection, Ampora?" Karkat was nervous too, he hadn't used _that_ name for Eridan since the first time they'd pailed.

"Yes. Kan's brilliant, don't you agree?"

"Thhe got _you_ to thhow thome rethtraint."

"Wwell you don't ignore an expert's advvice, do you Sol?" Kanaya had made _him_ a greatcoat, black with a deep violet lining. He was wearing his own sign as jewellery; a lapel pin, holding his blood purple cravat in place and on his cuff links. His shirt was pale grey, his trousers dark grey while his high boots were black and he could _move_ in the whole outfit.

"It's just about time. You all ready? Knoww howw to behavve?" He looked at Feferi - she was the one on record as being at least a little reluctant and by now he was expected to have got her under control.

"Yes grumpy gills. Walk just behind you, don't look around, sit or kneel where Karcrab puts me. Don't speak until I'm spoken to, then look to you for permission."

"Yeah, that covvers it. Sol, you okay wwith your side a things?"

"Yeth ED." He sounded exasperated, they'd spent far too long arguing over the best presentation for this interview. "I'm not going to pick a fight with - or in front of - a violet breeder captain."

"I knoww you're not stupid, Sol." There wasn't anything to correct and it was getting close to their interview time. "We need to go." He turned and led the way from the room, making it clear he expected everyone to follow him. Sollux used his psionics to catch up before Eridan reached the door, but Karkat and Feferi trailed behind. A teal opened the door for them. He was a little shorter than average, but broad across the shoulders, and all he was wearing was a black wrap edged in a violet just a shade bluer than Eridan's, and pinned with a teal spade. His claws were filed right down to the quick, was that a humiliation technique, something punitive, or an implication of something else? Eridan silently hoped for the third option. At least the teal was a black _consort_ not a black concubine, but it was still a disappointment to know that Captain Iceheart was apparently willing to have black sex with a slave - Sol's hacking had indicated that she shared Eridan's opinions on the matter.

"Fertile Lord. Please enter." He dropped to one knee, bowing and turning his head to expose a triangle of throat as Eridan passed. He came to a stop five full steps from where the captain sat, two paces to the side of the chairs in front of hers. She was wearing a full captain's uniform, all in black with tyrian insignia and piping in her blood colour at the seams. It exactly matched the edging on the black wraps her concubines were wearing around their hips, and the violet hearts pinning them in place. They were all kneeling on the cushions at her feet, none higher blooded than Sollux's yellow - at least that information was right, and Eridan silently congratulated himself on choosing not to bring any of his concubines - Tavros wouldn't be able to get to his knees gracefully, and Eltrice might have come across as a subtle insult, with his marginally higher blood. There was an empty stool at her feet as well.

"Captain Iceheart." He turned his head away from Sollux, exposing the side of his throat to her. He could hear his consorts dropping to their knees behind him, and could only trust that Sollux had tilted his head back to expose his full throat, as he'd ordered his consorts to.

"Applicat Ampora. Sit. And my personal name is Ashakaya, use it."

"As you wish. Call me Eridan, if it pleases you." Three chairs, one sized for a breeder, flanked by two for lesser trolls. Two padded stools, one on each side in front of his chair, and a scattering of cushions. He took his seat, and kicked one of the foot stools, careful not to actually move it. Karkat guided Feferi to sit on the side opposite Sollux, then settled down himself, resting his head against Eridan's knee.

"Intelligent _and_ affectionate. I see why you chose a mutant first consort now. Does he have any problems keeping the rest of your harem under control?" The teal silently came to sit on the stool at her feet as she spoke, holding himself stiffly, as if expecting a blow.

"Not that I'vve noticed. Kar, havve you had any problems?" He rested a hand on Karkat's head, thumb rubbing against the base of one horn.

"No Eridan. Not with my position, and certainly nothing worth bringing to you. You...made your support very clear by _keeping_ me as your first consort."

"There's a reason I did that. Howw does it wwork, havvin' a neww black consort and a red harem?" The teal hadn't been anywhere in the records, and he should have been, unless she'd just acquired him on planet - and he was too old for that.

"Sofwan?" She reached out to stroke his horns in a casually possessive gesture. "He was a gift from a governator. You did know we can only take convicted criminals black?"

"Even if you already filled the black quadrant?" Sollux spoke out of turn to ask the question but it looked as if Captain Iceheart approved of his initiative.

"Even then. It would be hugely insulting to your kismesis to accept such a gift of course - and equally insulting if your kismesis didn't _do_ something about the insult. Then again, not many trolls would dare offer such an insulting gift to _any_ breeder.

"To answer your original question, Eridan, I keep him apart from my harem. You seem to have a taste for the small and crippled." She gave a frankly appraising look at Sollux and Eridan's consorts. "I think your psionic's the biggest of the lot. And probably the healthiest."

"They're not as delicate as they look. As for my concubines...does it _matter_ howw healthy they are? They just havve to please me, it's not like I'm going to breed wwith them." He hesitated, trying to assess her reaction, she seemed unhappy about something, and given her own political history..."Besides, Kar wwanted to savve as many livves as he could, and I had them under consideration anywway."

"Ah. Very kind of you." Was that sarcasm, or approval? "But picking out cullbait and catching an ungelded tyrian does have its costs.

"Who do you intend to leave to make sure no one breaks your kismesis?"

"I havve agreements in principle from a blue and an indigo if it provves necessary." If he _wasn't_ accepted by a breeder captain he thought he could get away with staying himself.

"Both of them? You are protective."

"This is a bad thing?" He grinned at her, trying to look appealingly confident, rather than arrogant.

"No. It isn't. You still need to be careful what promises you make."

"Nevver make a promise you aren't wwillin' or capable to honour. I knoww. I have no intention a doin' _that_. To anyone." It wasn't as if it had taken much to bribe Equius or Gamzee either - he had more than enough pull to get Nepeta on the same ship as him and safe as an adjunct to his household, even with a breeder captain, and Gamzee just wanted access to Tavros when the drones came around. "The blue's a pretty talented engineer, and I'vve named his moirail as my harem guard."

"Hmm. I'd wondered why you only had one guard if you were going to bother with that, and a greenblood too. What's wrong with the moirail?" She leaned forward, focused entirely on Eridan and his answer.

"Nothin's _wwrong_ wwith her, she's smart and a great fighter. And she _can_ control her temper. She'll make a really good guard." He hesitated, and shrugged one shoulder, hoping they'd judged her right. "That's sorta the issue - greens aren't 'supposed' to havve the right temperament to be guards, not evven the teals." At least not the sort of guard you'd keep on a harem, who needed to be decisive and proactive - watching monitors or more routine guard work was considered well within their capabilities.

"I see. She needs a superior who won't care about her temper, as long as she can keep it under control." She sat back, smiling to bare her narrow seadweller sharp teeth. "Tell me, why did you choose to apply to me?"

"Personally, or professionally? I got reasons on both sides."

"I think I want to hear the personal side first."

"Accordin' to wwhat I kneww you only had a red harem. And you alwways chose a psionic wwhenevver you had a kismesis. I figured at wworst you'd accept my choice a kismesis, and at best you'd share my opinion a black sex wwith slavves."

"And what opinion would that be?"

"That it's kind a borin'." That was the reason he felt would make most sense to her. "I mean, a slavve's got no powwer to defy you or anythin', so they're not goin' to givve you any sort of real fight."

"You run that risk with a psionic kismesis too though. If they're powerful enough to be a worthwhile fight then they're dependent on you to stay out of a helmscolumn."

"All that means is that they can't actually kill or cripple you though. Wwe're not allowwed to repudiate them."

"There is that. Did you have any further personal reasons?"

"Not...really Ashakaya." He glanced down, then back up at her with a smile. "Nothin' that matters compared to wwhat I could get about your attitude and beliefs. And you're well enough knowwn to _keep_ your bargains to put that on the professional side. Should I add the _other_ professional reasons?"

"Please do."

"You're damless, like me, and you'vve accomplished more than a lot a breeders _wwith_ a dam's support, evven the ones older than you. Wwho wwouldn't wwant to havve the benefit a your experience?"

"Nicely said. Now, we need to determine what you can offer me. You are clearly intelligent and strong willed to catch an ungelded tyrian and train her to accept a place as your second consort, without embarassing you in public." Meaning she could expect that at some point he'd be in a position to do her favours, or offer solid support to her.

"Have you ever been taken in before, Eridan?" Ashakaya had an odd smile on her face as she looked at him.

"Yes Ahsakaya, I havve." He forced himself to smile back at her and opened his legs a little. He'd known this question would be coming in one form or another, he just hadn't expected her to be so lowblood blunt about the issue. He didn't have a problem with being taken in, but he knew that he was supposed to and he _still_ wasn't certain what sort of response would appeal to her most. "Wwhen I wwas younger, before I hit my full growwth."

"You think it's something for pre-adults then?" A dangerous edge to her voice, and Eridan didn't really like the way Sollux was looking at him now. But he had to answer her, and he wasn't going to risk lying about this.

"I think it's not something a half-sterile troll can do to one a us as an adult. Takes another breeder for that."

"Quite. So...why did you allow yourself to be taken in?"

"The calli-playmate wwho wwanted it wwas useful." He shrugged, as far as he was concerned it was a minor matter, even if no one else seemed to agree, but he thought he saw approval or appreciation in her eyes.

"Very pragmatic for such a young breeder. I take it you would still be open to allowing such a liberty from a breeder who was useful enough to you?"

"Naturally. But such an elder breeder wwould havve to be extremely useful. Say...offerin' all the benefits they wwould to a younger breeder of their line."

"Without any of the corresponding obligations I take it." At least she sounded amused, not angered by his gall. "Any such breeder would have extremely high expectations of your availability."

"Indeed. And she wwould havve the right to it, wwhile I wwas on his ship." But an easy agreement wasn't what the captain wanted, Eridan got that, it made him look weak and easily controlled. "Still, there wwould be limits. Maybe ten...vvisits a swweep." He grinned at her, he _knew_ his offer was totally outrageous, but it was a display of spirit he needed to make.

"Unless you included totally free access to your harem - including your tyrian - then I would say a minimum of ten nights between visits would be more reasonable." That was significantly more demanding than Vriska had been, but Ashakaya was offering more, being taken in didn't _hurt_, and...was she implying that going to her every ten nights would mean that he didn't need to trade Feferi's powers _with her_?

"At that frequency I wwould expect aid and advvice in tradin' the use a my tyrian's abilities." That wasn't already covered in the bargain they were making, no breeder his age would normally own a tyrian - and certainly not if the elder whose line he was in didn't. "Advvice on howw best to bargain, and on wwho it wwould benefit me most to trade wwith."

"Not an unreasonable expectation." She nodded with a smile. "Tell me, howw do you intend to keep the indigo close to your household to pay your debt to him? Or have you agreed something that does not require that?"

"I...hadn't considered that." And Gamzee would need - want - to be close to Eridan's household, hoping for more of a chance to meet with Tavros. "Wwould it be inappropriate to ask for suggestions?" He knew that indigoes always ended up trained as subjuggulators, except in special cases, so he hadn't thought about trying to keep Gamzee out of that, or even if he'd want it.

"Are you trying to test my advice?" She laughed lightly, he hadn't offended her. "I...dislike subjuggulators, and I would never permit one to be trained aboard my ship." In other words he had to work out a way to keep Gamzee from becoming a subjuggulator if he wanted to keep him in easy access, assuming Ashakaya accepted him. "One more question, what other quadrant affiliations would I have to consider if I accepted you and your household onto my ship?"

"My guard is in a concupiscent square, so you'd need to find places for a teal legislacerator trainee, a jade seamstress and a cerulean potential officer. The indigo and blue I'vve made arrangements wwith are kismeses."

"And on the red side?"

"The blue's got a slavve, and I'vve promised the indigo limited access to my harem - I should make him the other harem guard, shouldn't I?" Whatever he felt about the matter - although honestly Gamzee was unlikely to make a good subjuggulator anyway. And he'd yield to Karkat without giving him any trouble about it, although Eridan wasn't entirely certain that _Nepeta_ would be able to assert any dominance over him.

"It would be highly inappropriate for me to make demands regarding how you arranged your household before I accepted you onto my ship would it not?" Her smile shifted more to the predatory side as she stood. "However you are aware of my preferences now...I believe we have covered everything necessary to determine our positions. Unless there is anything else you wish to bring up?"

"No, I think that wwe'vve covvered evverythin' wwe need to." Eridan stood himself, and the others followed his example.


End file.
